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LG To Pay Licensing Fees To Microsoft For Using Android
PerlJedi writes "InformationWeek reports that LG is the latest in a string of companies who have been bullied into paying 'license fees' to Microsoft for the use of Android on their products. 'Microsoft said the deal with LG means that 70% of Android-based smartphones sold in the U.S. are now covered by its licensing program. ... Microsoft does not disclose how much revenue it's obtaining from Android, Chrome, and Linux licenses, but some analysts believe it may be substantial, to the point where the company is making significant profits from the mobile revolution even though its own offering, Windows Phone, commands a market share of less than 2%, according to Gartner.'"
Why would it be extortion or why would there be bribes involved? Microsoft owns the patents based on years of R&D (Microsoft Research is the largest R&D center on the industry) and they legally ask for companies to pay to use their patented technology.
Microsoft isn't patent troll. They do actual research and spend billions a year on Microsoft Research. No one else in the industry has such an good R&D department. Patent trolls don't do research, they just bully companies. Microsoft is within all their rights to ask for payments on their patents, because they actually do lots of research.
Not really, just regular patent licensing. It would be extortion if they forced them to pay licensees, they always have the opportunity to stop using Android and no longer infringe on the patents.
Maybe it would help if Microsoft ever actually said which patents were being violated, and how. Have they?
They've been disclosed to any relevant parties. You think all the companies signing deals with MS have no clue what the patents are? No, they signed an NDA, saw the patents, and every one of them has decided to license the technologies rather than fight in court. MS certainly doesn't have to disclose them to the public just to appease some forum trolls.
consequently there is no legal basis for MS' NDA.
Let me guess, YANAL, right? Save the legal conjecture for qualified individuals. I'm talking pure logic here. You're trying to tell me that at least 6 multi billion dollar corporations, some of which are much larger than Microsoft, have signed patent deals worth hundreds of millions over completely flimsy ridiculous patents that could easy be overturned by any court?