The sooner every party breaks up the better - Jane Austen's Emma
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Microsoft flogs an Android licensing agreement
PATENT LOVING SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Microsoft has managed to talk the giant US defence contractor General Dynamics Itronix into signing a patent agreement to use Google's Android operating system.
Microsoft announced the deal allowing General Dynamics Itronix devices to use Google's Android operating system as having a "broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio". Given that this is the first known agreement between Microsoft and any company to 'license' the use of Android, Microsoft was perhaps understandably keen not to divulge the contents of the licence agreement.
Google's Android operating system has been sweeping all before it, with the firm announcing that it is now activating 500,000 Android devices everu day. Microsoft on the other hand has been trying to claim that Android is not free and that signing licensing agreements is the only way for those firms that use it to cover themselves against the potential for legal problems in the future.
For Microsoft the deal means it can say that there is at least one company that has agreed to its Android licensing terms, giving some credence to its prior claims that Android is not free and that licensing its patents is the only way to avoid possible litigation. Although Microsoft didn't go into details about the licensing agreement, the Redmond firm did say that it will be receiving future royalties from General Dynamics Itronix.
Other Android device makers will be waiting to see just what this means for the industry as a whole. Microsoft has already sued Barnes and Noble and Foxconn over Android patents, but those lawsuits are still pending.
However news of Microsoft's licensing 'win' might also interest other parties, including Google and Oracle.
Oracle in particular will wonder just how Microsoft managed to get money for Android without having to enter a fierce patent lawsuit over Android. Google might also be interested in looking at how Microsoft is able to directly make money out of Android, which is something that it doesn't do. µ
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Nobody knows...
This is effectively taking out a license on Linux, Java and a few other things, without disclosing the basis for it...
Methinks there is quite a few people that would have quite a few things to say about this...
estiban: "From the article title I guess Lawrence is unclear how patents work."
From the article title it looks like Lawrence knows exactly how patents work. To remind you, it's this:
1. "We've thought of something super shiny. Really!"
2. "You won't have noticed this because we file shiny stuff notices all the time. Not even the USPTO reads them properly."
3. "Believe us!"
4. "Now pay us!"
5. "It would be a shame if your business had an accident, wouldn't it?"
Clearer now?
Microsoft would be very silly to litigate against any government on the basis ofpatent infringement.
The US govt can and has declared eminent domain on patents it decides are important to national security - effectively rendering the patent null and void.
MS and others are fully aware of this possibility. Only a fool would contemplate biting the hand that feeds it (USPTO)
It will make you look like less of an idiot.
Microsoft's claim is that SOME of the technology used in Android is covered by it's patents. Being as Miceosoft has rather a large patent portfolio this is entirely possible. Companies like HTC have looked at the claims and decided that MS have enough of a claim that they don't want to risk taking it to court, hence the payment of a licence fee. That's how patents are supposed to work, rather than letting inventors get ripped off by all and sundry.
You might want to argue over whether software should be patentable, and if so for how long, but at the moment MS are entirely within their rights.
This patent threat against US military equipment seems a lot like a "cyber-attack". And I thought the US government authorized the use of force to respond to cyberattacks?
Perhaps people might want to stay away from Redmond HQ (or other MS offices) for awhile until this "blows-over".
Shows what a good, patriotic corporate citizen Microsoft is. Software terrorism at work.
Wasn't this one of SCO's extortionary business models?
Oh yeah, that was financed by Microsoft.
Wasn't this one of SCO's attempted extortionary business models?
Oh, small world. And that was financed by Microsoft.
Has microsoft ever said which patents it holds that Android infringes on?
From the article title I guess Lawrence is unclear how patents work.
HTC pays $5 per phone to Microsoft and they were the first to licence the android platform. In fact Microsoft makes more money from android than WP7.