Microsoft, on Thursday, announced its decision to purchase anti-spyware firm, Giant Software Company, for an undisclosed amount.

The reason for this move is merely the fact that Microsoft is willing to provide anti-spyware tools to its customers. Microsoft claims that spyware writers are targeting the company’s Internet Explorer browser due to its popularity; independent research firms have found Internet Explorer to be filled with bugs that virus writers and malicious code writers take advantage of to make various systems viable to attacks.

Giant Company Software was a privately held firm with 12 employees and created anti-spyware tools of various sorts.

Microsoft has acquired all licenses to use Giant Software Company’s products and hopes to announce its series of tools within a month after its beta release of the products.

Since the buy-out, Microsoft is discussing terms with another firm, Sunbelt Software, which claims that some aspects of the Giant anti-spyware products have exclusive Sunbelt content that was only available to Giant Software Company and not Microsoft.

According to Sunbelt, Microsoft must license or take permission to the exclusive parts of the anti-spyware tools in order to incorporate them into their future editions of products.

Currently, Microsoft is in talks with Sunbelt and willing to reach a compromised solution. Sunbelt, however, is not agreeing to Microsoft’s requests. Regardless, the world’s largest software maker is determined to bring its products to the market in the designated time frame.

"There's nothing about these pre-existing commitments that will prevent us from bringing to market the product we think is needed and is right for our customers," said Amy Carroll, Director Product Management, Security Business and Technology Unit, Microsoft Corp.

Both Sunbelt and Microsoft are handling this issue without disputes thus far.

At the beginning, Microsoft will offer the anti-spyware products to its customers for free, but may decide to charge a fee in the near future. The company declined to comment on its future pricing plans.