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LG signs a patent licensing deal with Microsoft
SMILEY FACED FIRM LG has become the latest hardware vendor to sign a patent licensing deal with Microsoft relating to the Android and Chrome operating systems.
Microsoft announced that it has signed an agreement with LG licensing certain patents for LG's devices, such as smartphones and tablets, that run Android or Chrome. Neither party has released details of the agreement.
Horacio Gutierrez, corporate VP and deputy general counsel of the intellectual property group at Microsoft said, "We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement."
Chrome is included in the deal but LG doesn't have any products using the Google operating system to date. This could signal that the firm is planning on making a Chromebook or similar device.
The software giant now has 11 agreements of this type with firms including LG's rivals HTC, Samsung and Acer. One company that hasn't succumbed to Microsoft's patent bullying is Motorola.
LG jumping through Microsoft's hoop means that more than 70 per cent of smartphones sold in the US are sold under royalty agreements covering Microsoft's alleged software patents on mobile technology.
Microsoft has said that parts of Google's Android and Chrome operating systems infringe its patents, so handing over some dosh avoids potential complications.
Gutierrez tweeted:
How should the smartphone industry resolve IP disputes in the software stack?Let's try licensing
— Horacio Gutierrez (@horaciog) January 12, 2012
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"How should the smartphone industry resolve IP disputes in the software stack?"
Probably by invalidating the junk patents of the patent trolls in court, and then countersuing for extorsion and anticompetitive behaviour like Barnes and Noble did? Requiring damages for anticompetitive behaviour and extortion may cover the legal fees needed to invalidate junk patents, which is what keeps most companies from going to court.
I am starting to think that the reason companies sign deals with Microsoft is because they wait for Google-Motorola to step in, just like it happened with Linux. Back then, some companies had bought SCO licenses too, then IBM came and the rest is history. Same thing will happen with Android.