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How Google Drove Samsung Away

itwbennett writes "The patent licensing agreement between Microsoft and Samsung this week set off a firestorm of childish tit-for-tat between Microsoft and Google. But more telling is what Samsung had to say about its relationship with Google: 'Samsung knows it can't rely on Google. We've decided to address Android IP issues on our own,' a Samsung official told The Korea Times. The only good news to come from all of this, says blogger Brian Proffitt, is that we may be headed for a courtroom showdown over just what patents Microsoft believes are in violation, which really is what should have happened to begin with." Update: 09/30 20:05 GMT by S : As it turns out, the so-called "Samsung official" cited by The Korea Times turned out to be patent blogger Florian Mueller.

7 of 231 comments (clear)

  1. FUCK you MS by sunr2007 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If microsoft says that every android device violates their patents then its nothing but just a Extortion racket they are building up by threatening other vendors. Im glad that a company like B & N has balls where as HTC and samsung c not. I'm never buying any windows product ever in my life again. lets start boycotting all MS products. OTOH why Department of Justice/antitrust regularities cannot look into deals like this?

  2. Re:Not the Droid you're looking for. by Hope+Thelps · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The major manufacturers would have only come to terms with Microsoft if they came to the conclusion that in a drawn out court battle, Microsoft would win.

    That's obviously untrue. They will enter into an agreement with Microsoft if it's advantageous to do so. There are any number of scenarios where that would apply. For example, a 10% chance of Microsoft winning and being awarded $10 billion doesn't compare well with a straight payment of $100 million. A certainly of Microsoft losing but with Samsung paying substantial legal costs along the way doesn't compare well with a series of agreement that net out to essentially nil cost to Samsung (for example agreeing to pay license fees for Android but receiving funds for an advertising campaign for Samsung Windows devices). And so on. We'd need a copy not only of this licensing agreement but of any related deals to decide who won or lost here.

    --
    To summarise the summary of the summary: people are a problem. ~ h2g2
  3. Re:Surprised? by westlake · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm surprised the shareholders of Google haven't done more to urge Google to spend their profits on supporting Samsung.

    Samsung is a global industrial cartel with $172 billion in revenues in 2009.

    Samsung can fight its own battles.

  4. Re:Just do IT! by daem0n1x · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes. The "thing" is called "parasite".

  5. Re:Just do IT! by king+neckbeard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Tomato, Tomatoe. Microsoft, Apple. Republicans, Democrats. It's all two sides of the same coin.

    --
    This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
  6. Re:Why support the lawyers? by andydread · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You completely miss the point. The NDA is required before even entering to negotiations. The NDA is about PATENTS which are public information. Telling people to sign a NDA so they cannot discuss public information is part of a delberate attempt to keep alleged infringement secret from the Linux community so that they can extort money from anyone that produces a Linux device or computer from TomTom to Buffalo to ACER and others. Your support for this egregious activity is telling.

  7. We need freedom fighters! by Fri13 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Please, someone working with Samsung, HTC or any of those companies, please send the documents to wikileaks. Let them to rip off the sensitive data of who leaked it to cover your asses and blow up the whole fucking shit back to Microsoft face.

    Do the right thing and show the world what kind asshole and abusive corporation the Microsoft is for whole world.

    Do the right thing.....

    At somepoint, someone need to stand up and stop the stupid chair game so everyone could actually sit down and start helping whole world without one corporation ruling what and when can be invented and brought to public.