“Microsoft has struck another key patent-licensing deal in the Android ecosystem,” Don Reisinger reports for CNET.
“The software company announced today that it has inked a deal with LG that will see it license operating system patents for devices running Android and Chrome OS,” Reisinger reports. “Terms of the deal were not disclosed.”
Reisinger reports, “LG has been relying heavily upon Android for its mobile push… ‘We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,’ Microsoft corporate vice president and deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez said today in a statement. ‘Together with our 10 previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than 70 percent of all Android smartphones sold in the U.S. are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio. We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The screws continue turning tighter on Android.
As we wrote yesterday, Microsoft’s best hope is that the law (via Apple and Oracle) actually deals Google’s Android what it deserves and the costs (licensing fees, reduced features) of using Android becomes greater than Windows Phone. If so, Microsoft will be standing there, ready to license Windows Phone to the iPhone wannabes of the world (because Apple certainly shows no signs they intend to license the real thing). So, thanks to Google’s over-the-top hubris, Microsoft just might luck out still.
OMG. Microsoft says that Android is an obomination yet they are ready to sell you a license to something they will never make or sell or upgrade.
Just too weird
Watch Microsoft pick up patents like those from Kodak and other companies as it starts morphing into a patent holding company rather than a software company.
An interesting notion I had not considered.
Microsoft is back to their original strategy: It doesn’t matter what you buy as long as you pay us.
Exactly what patents are msft peddling?
This is great though. All these licensing costs are going to end up killing the reason handset makers jumped on Android for – it was free. Google can’t be happy about this, as once these costs begin to mount, I think these hardware makers will once again begin attempting (and failing) to make their own mobile operating systems.
We shall see.
You might have something there Gordy. Google has a trump card and they will play it all right if the hayloft gets too dusty, and that is goin’ vertical themselves, especially if they nail down that Moto deal. Goes without sayin’ that would change their dna . Not a bad thing as right now that dna is that of a ghoul.
Then MS, Apple, Oracle, et. al will be dragging Motoogle into court over the patents that the other Android phone makers licensed.
Google acts like a little brother or that asshat friend who sleeps with your ex girlfriend but doesn’t tell you and you have to hear from someone else. If he just told you upfront you’d be like yeah, go for it, and everyone would be happy. But no, Google backs itself into negotiations rather than going through the front door – and this behavior has perma-screwed google at the negotiating table.
I am with Linus Torvalds on this… Microsoft needs to come out publicly about what patents Linux infringes upon or shut the heck up and leave the Linux vendors alone! What Microsoft is doing is what amounts to nothing more than extortion and I hope that Google finally stands up to Microsoft!!
I agree. Microsoft has always been a sneaky underhanded company and personally can’t stand that Google plays the same way they do. They just prey on tech companies on the FUD principle and I personally hope Barnes and Noble opens up a can of worms when it comes to exactly what patents does MS own. To me the whole thing of licencing without coming out and saying what patents Google infringes to me smells like a dead rotting rat. MS is not to be trusted on any level whatsoever.
Linus does not own Android nor his manners have shown that he supports ownership. What does he care about the political world of the copyright laws.
Patents are like self satisfying moments of pleasure… very short lived relative to innovative ideas.
Screw Google and screw Microsoft… only companies like these two can go at each other and get even and out.