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Microsoft has entered into a patent agreement with another major Android manufacturer. LG was the victim this time though there’s no word on how much they’ll have to pay for each infringing device sold. I don’t think any of us are surprised anymore at this point but it still saddens me to see Microsoft doing it. Then again, it also delights me to know they’re making more money on Android than their own Windows Phone 7. The world is a wonderful place, isn’t it? [via AllThingsD]
they should be charging Google and not the phone manufacturers
Depends on what the infringement was. It could be something to do with the custom UI they created, which Google isn’t responsible for.
Google gives android away free so this shields them from these.
Google MAKES MONEY FROM ADS so giving away Android makes sense.
Google knows EXACTLY what they are doing.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57358130-93/epic-to-ftc-google-search-plus-may-violate-privacy-antitrust-rules/
My favorite recently was how Schmidt doesnt like the word, “fragmented”
http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/11/technology/google_schmidt_ces/index.htm
I see no problem here. If it were my patent I would protect it as well. Also, what is up with everyone pulling for wp7 and ios to fail? Competition is what fuels advancement dumbasses.
This is spot on. The patent system is mean to protect intellectual property – technology that does something that never has been done before, or does it in a different way. If someone reverse engineers another device to figure out how it does something and then uses that technology, that’s cheating, and they should be forced to pay for that technology.
On the other hand, I think that Microsoft’s licensing of patents is very smart. It allows them to make money on every device sold, without having to worry about additional R&D, the costs of design, manufacture, shipping and marketing. The difference between Microsoft, who gets this (after stealing DR DOS and then licensing MS DOS to everyone who has ever made a computer, by the way), and Apple is that Apple apparently doesn’t have any interest in licensing its patents, just like they had no interest in licensing their OS.
They knew that if they licensed their OS to other companies, then a Mac would become a commodity, and that Apple could not justify charging what they for their Macbooks and Desktops. With their patents, they think that if they choose to enforce their Patents and enjoin the use of “their” technology, HTC, LG, Samsung, etc. will leave the market, and the Smartphone market will consist of the IPhone and nothing else. The problem with this is that it is anticompetitive.
The history of Apple and violation of Intellectual Property goes back to their name. They chose Apple Corp., and the Beatles didn’t like it because their record company was Apple Corps. The Beatles sued, and Apple claimed that there was no possible confusion, since they made computers and had no ties to Music. Today, Apple Corp. is the largest seller of music in the world, and they are the only leigitimate on-line source, I believe, of the Beatles’ Music.
All this MS BS is just a modern form of racket. It is purposely covered with secrecy agreement so that FBI wouldn’t take them by their asses. In the beginning of 20th century it took some bullets to clean out New York and make them all go to Cuba.
He actually has some points. You don’t. You’re just insulting him. So, you’re the dumbass.
Cue Adam Diaz insulting me now… totally calling it. Troll.
I don’t agree with all these vague patenting of ideas but at least Microsoft as a practising entity in the field and not a company who never intend to use the patent for anything other than issuing law suits to get paid instead of actually innovating something real.
Also I completely agree with ohmesohungry’s comment on ios and win7 succeeding to create competition.
The patent law is so screwed up, the software ideas that are allowed to be patented are absurd, patent law in software is used for one purpose and one purpose only these days. To extort money from other companies and stifle competition.