Microsoft Adds ViewSonic, Acer to Android Licensees

[Guest]

Android continues to be a gold mine for Microsoft. ViewSonic and Acer are the latest two companies to have signed patent licensing agreements with Microsoft.

Microsoft Adds ViewSonic, Acer to Android Licensees : Read more

 

[rohitbaran]

Wow. Talk about free cash!

 

[FlayerSlayer]

I think I missed an article recently. How come Microsoft gets a $10 cut of the sale of all Android devices? Is this due to patent suit settlements. I wish the article were clearer on why, so I could know this isn't just another Tom's typo.

 

[DSpider]

What does Microsoft have to do with Android? They have their own Winphone 7 or whatever the hell it's called (I don't even give a sh).

Taken from Wikipedia:

"Android is an operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google."


So I ask you again, where does Microsoft fit into all of this?

"We are pleased that ViewSonic is taking advantage of our industrywide licensing program established to help companies address Android’s IP issues."

What IP issues?

 

[of the way]

Microsoft thinks it can sue over Android use. This is their way of not having to pay (as many) legal fees, and jump straight to a settlement.

 

[jprahman]

Basically Acer and Viewsonic pay Microsoft a fee for a license to use mobile technology that Microsoft has patented but is (supposedly) present in Android. This way Acer and Viewsonic don't face lawsuits and Microsoft gets to cash in on Android phone sales.

 

[bobbyp86]

I hate all of this legal extortion, I'd boycott the companies that do it but then I'd be living in a cave

 

[coldmast]

Software should be limited to copyright, not patents, what a joke.

 

[DSpider]

That is so messed up. Microsoft making a profit from Android sales (which is basically Linux).

 

[silver565]

meh, Nokia have a lot of patents that other companies have to pay to use....
Same thing I guess

 

[junixophobia]

what patent exactly is that....?

 

[zorky9]

(legal) extortion

 

[silver565]

[citation][nom]junixophobia[/nom]what patent exactly is that....?[/citation]

Nokia invented a lot of the things we all use today. Here are some older ones that you may have forgotten about

http/eupat.ffii.org/gasnu/nokia/index.en.html

 

[bourgeoisdude]

Didn't know it was that much money. To everyone asking, the only thing I am aware of that must be licenses for every Android device (and iPhone) is Activesync:

http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activesync

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]FlayerSlayer[/nom]I think I missed an article recently. How come Microsoft gets a $10 cut of the sale of all Android devices? Is this due to patent suit settlements. I wish the article were clearer on why, so I could know this isn't just another Tom's typo.[/citation]
This article assumes you read posts from a while ago and/or know something about Android other than it has a cute name based on sweet food.

Android was made by Google, but some of its code is patent property of Microsoft, so instead of suing Google there is more money to be made by licensing. The hardware vendors have already agreed to pay, over 600 of them in fact.

HTC signed a license deal at the same time Apple just went directly to the lawyers, Apple has got nowhere, Microsoft is getting $400 million a year, Apple is pretty good with the whole litigation racket so you have to assume that this is nothing more than very good business.

When MS releases W8 for tablets you will have people in Frys stuck with a choice, buy an Android or a Windows tablet, whichever you buy MS will get cash.

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]otacon72[/nom]Microsoft cashing in on Android...just brilliant. I can just see the Google execs heads exploding.[/citation]
I would actually pay to see that, not that I dislike Google specifically, but Eric Schmidt is a slimy twat and I personally would love to push the detonator.

 

[slabbo]

yup, it's truly disgusting. Microsoft has the "alleged" patents but zero code. They did the least amount of work and are raking in millions. But in the end it's the consumers who pay. the phones makers just charge $7-11 more per device. Google doesn't charge a penny for Android too, so they don't even get paid when someone uses it. nice world we live in /sarcasm.

 

[festerovic]

Vote with your dollars and don't buy products from companies that are part of the problem.

 

[Guest]

Companies like Acer and VIewsonic does not handover the cash. They mark up the price of the device and it is the consumers who end up paying Microsoft. Microsoft has talked about "Android is not free" some time back and now we know how it is benefiting from Android. What is more sad about this is when companies start doing this, we shall see "Chrome is not free", "Firefox is not free" and whatever greedy companies and their lawyer cronies can think of in order to cash in on old dodgy inventions that were created more than 10 years ago (USA laws hold software patent for 20 years). Effectively things like this only benefit big corporations as they have plenty of money to employ lawyers to go through other people products. Small companies or open software developers might have similar claims but due to lack of resource they are unable to discover them.

Maybe software patent should be reformed, like making it shorter, such as 5 years. Or make it such that ALL documentations on software MUST clearly list which part of it is under patent and since when so that developers will not fall into such traps. Failure to do so should result in the patent being void or something.

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]slabbo[/nom]yup, it's truly disgusting. Microsoft has the "alleged" patents but zero code. They did the least amount of work and are raking in millions. But in the end it's the consumers who pay. the phones makers just charge $7-11 more per device. Google doesn't charge a penny for Android too, so they don't even get paid when someone uses it. nice world we live in /sarcasm.[/citation]
You truely believe that, a company that has pumped billions into R&D, the worlds largest software company, doesn't have part of it's code in Android.
Welcome to the world of blind ignorance, fanboy...