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Nikon Buckles To Microsoft, Will Pay "Android Tax" For Smart Cameras

Posted by timothy on from the by-all-means dept.

walterbyrd writes with news that Nikon is the latest company to agree to pay Microsoft for the privilege of using Android on its devices — as you might expect from Nikon, the devices in this case are cameras. (Microsoft's press release.)

6 of 272 comments (clear)

  1. Confusing press release without context by dmomo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's some info on the patents that Microsoft claims android is in violation of:

    http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/070611-microsoft-android.html

    1. Re:Confusing press release without context by netol · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes but say hello to exFAT (and its new patents), specially if you care about 4+ GB

    2. Re:Confusing press release without context by inode_buddha · · Score: 5, Informative

      Re-posting this as a non-AC so that everyone sees it:

      "And as a follow-up to that article from 1.5 years ago, be it noted that when B&N hung tough, and was willing to go to court, MS "settled" by investing $300M in a joint venture, and they became good buddies who were not going to have such silly squabbles any more.

      Interesting that they have not gone after Apple's iOS on a lot of those same "patents" - have they?

      YMMV"

      MS *really* doesn't want to go to court over these patents, nor do they want anybody knowing exactly what they are about... As for the FAT patents? Those were unenforcable long ago. http://www.geek.com/articles/law/microsoft-fat-patent-shot-down-2004101

      --
      C|N>K
  2. Re:Hey buddy by jedidiah · · Score: 4, Informative

    This isn't about any genuine invention. Providing "replacement" technology is actually pretty trivial. Many of these predate their Microsoft counterpart. The real problem is that product configuration becomes unnecessarily complicated because suddenly extra device drivers are required.

    Taxes on "being compatible" are obscene and should be viewed by everyone here as such.

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  3. Re:Hey buddy by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Informative

    Its not Android that Microsoft is licensing, its some of their protocols, (MTP most likely).

    Bullshit.

    It's pretty widely known now that MS is extorting money almost exclusively for its ancient FAT filesystem patents. Because they were able to establish it as a defacto format during their monopoly years, they're now in a position where its ubiquitous. Not because its good, or innovative or took significant effort to develop. Just because it became the lowest common denominator.

    And they'll continue milking it until somebody stops them.

    It really is time for industry to route around this damage and develop a new common, free and open filesystem format, or for governments to step in and stop this abuse of their systems.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  4. Re:Hey buddy by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Informative

    These are the patents from your link:

    1. FAT filenames
      FAT filenames
      Flash Memory filesystem bad block hack
      Separation layer/API for telephone radio (aka a driver)
      Adding a number from dialler to contacts
      Notification API, but on mobiles.
      Pop-up menus, but on mobiles.
      Offline/online caching and reconciliation (like Notes)

    Microsoft is claiming that the thought and effort that went into these ideas is worth more than $230,000,000 per annum in licensing fees.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."