Samsung has become the latest company to enter into a patent licensing agreement with Microsoft for its Android devices.
Since Android has become a significant player in the smartphone market, Microsoft has threatened to sue handset vendors over a handful of mobile phone related patents. They filed a patent lawsuit against Motorola last year.
Microsoft has also made a lot of noise ... [ read the full article ]
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Quote:In the last few months several companies, including Acer, ViewSonic & HTC.
What?
I concur. This article is incomplete.
"Neither SamsungnorMicrosoft ..." Corrected. (Sorry, temporarily possessed by ghost of grammar nazi. Seems to happen a lot lately. I need an exorcism )
So...all I have to do is sue someone for using patents and refuse to disclose what patents I am talking about, and I can get money? Oh wait...I don't own any judges.
Originally posted by Interestx: Sorry but I don't buy this anti-Microsoft 'patent troll' angle in this.
Ok, I'll explain it to you using SIMPLE words. Microsoft didn't have anything to do with the development of Linux or Android. Those of us who LIKE and want Android phones have to pay a premium for our phone because M$ is a bunch of greedy, suit-happy SOBs. Is that clear enough?
What surprises me is that Samsung, Acer, ViewSonic & HTC, and perhaps RedHat, Ubuntu, Suse, Debian ... don't band together in a class action lawsuit against M$ for monopolistic practices, fraud, extortion, and anything else they can tack on. Surely if enough of them banded together they would have the resources to beat Micro$quat at its own game.
Originally posted by KillerBug: So...all I have to do is sue someone for using patents and refuse to disclose what patents I am talking about, and I can get money? Oh wait...I don't own any judges.
My feelings exactly. They're using the power of "FUD" to extort fees from any company that wants to deploy an Android based device. I don't blame the manufacturers, as they already have untold millions tied up in a device launch. They just want to pay the fee, and move on. They tried it with the Linux community, and the Linux community basically said "Bring it on". They backed down, then. One would hope that some day, some company is able to take them on and say "Put up, or shut up". Until then, Micro$oft can continue to wave their magic threat wand at companies, and legally shake them down.
