Microsoft adds patent suit protections for cloud customers

Patent protection can provide an edge for Microsoft as the company competes with Amazon and Google

Microsoft will help cloud customers fend off patent lawsuits and expand coverage of related litigation costs, seeking to distinguish its services from rivals in the fast-growing market for internet-based computing.

As more companies host their applications and services on Microsoft's Azure and other cloud providers, they are increasingly becoming the target of lawsuits from companies seeking to make money by claiming patent infringement.  Microsoft, the second-biggest cloud infrastructure services vendor behind Amazon.com, will help customers fight back by offering them one of its own patents to deter or defeat such suits. 

The software giant will also expand a program in which Microsoft