Barnes & Noble Names Microsoft's Disputed Android Patents

Julie188 writes "B&N is really blowing the lid off of what Microsoft is doing and how they are forcing money from Android. It has accused Microsoft of requiring overly restricted NDA agreements from those even entering into patent license talks. Because it is disputing Microsoft's claims, and the restrictions of its own NDA signed with Redmond, B&N has gone public. It has named in detail six patents that it says Microsoft is using to get Android device makers to pay up. Plus, B&N is also trying to force open Microsoft's other plans for stomping out Android, including the agreement Redmond made with Nokia, and Nokia's patent-troll MOSAID."

Comments

Well now

[93 Escort Wagon]

It's about damn time the patents came out.

Re:Well now

[GameboyRMH]

TL;DR-friendly list of patents:

https://www.networkworld.com/community/files/imce/img_blogs/microsoft_patents.jpg

I don't know what to say.

Re:The patents in question are -

[Anonymous Coward]

Patents identified prior to litigation

• 6,339,780: placing a loading status icon in the content viewing area of a browser
• 5,579,517: compatibility of file names employed by current and outmoded operating systems
• 5,652,913: storing input/output access factors in a shared data structure
• 5,758,352: compatibility of file names employed by current and outmoded operating systems
• 6,791,536: simulating mouse inputs using non-mouse devices
• 6,897,853: simulating mouse inputs using non-mouse devices

Patents asserted in litigation

• 6,339,780: placing a loading status icon in the content viewing area of a browser
• 5,778,372: browser that recognises background images in an electronic document and displays the background images after text - i.e. duplicate display
• 5,889,522: putting known tab controls into an operating system for use by all applications, rather then providing tabs on an application-by-application basis
• 6,891,551: using handles to change the size selection areas for selected text
• 6,957,233: storing and displaying of annotations of text which is not modifiable

These are the descriptions from the image in TFA

Its not just about Android

[andydread]

According Barnes and Noble this about open source software in general not just Android. They mention Tomtom and other non-Android device manufacturers. Microsoft is on a campaign to kill open source in the marketplace. More info available here and a damning PDF with lots of juicy information here

Re:Slashdot's new anti-Microsoft position

[residieu]

B&N didn't break an NDA. They signed an NDA covering a single meeting, where the specifics on the patents weren't given. Microsoft then apparently forgot they hadn't signed the same NDA as everyone else and sent them information on the patents.