I have posted about this on various social networks. I think it is wrong that Micro$oft is making money off of android with their FUD and patent scare tactics, however, at the end of the day, android runs on Linux. M$ is threatening these companies and I am not going to stop using Linux just because the companies are folding to the M$ pressure. The problem is with the system these companies are working within. Patents are the real problem and as long as the courts recognize software patents these types of threats will be viable, IMO.
ten Android firms pay M$ royalties http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/370696/microsoft-ten-android-firms-pay-us-royalties Half of all Android device makers pay patent royalties to Microsoft. http://www.neowin.net/news/half-of-all-android-devices-have-entered-into-patent-agreements-with-microsoft Google http://news.softpedia.com/news/Google-Is-Sitting-Idly-by-as-Microsoft-Makes-Even-More-Money-from-Android-229616.shtml The interesting thing about this is that M$ is not attacking Google directly which puts the android creators in an awkward position. I think Google is restraining themselves IMO because once they jump in the game M$ may launch a case against Google for knowingly conspiring to infringe on M$ patents, resulting in triple the fines and falling stock prices in a bad economy. When/If M$ attacks Google directly the FOSS community will probably get more involved. For now I think the FOSS community is just reporting the royalties; what else can they do? Chris... This is wrong and these companies should definitely be doing something to stop it. Chris... On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 10:14 PM, David Kaiser <dkai...@cdk.com> wrote: > Over the past 2 years, I've had various discussions about my opinions on > why I don't use Android, primarily being issues of usability and the > design of the Android OS being non "open" as compared to a Desktop > distribution. > > Well, forget those two cases, I now think my main argument is > officially changed. > > The primary reason to not use Android now is... Microsoft. > > Read this entire article: http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/79179 > > Microsoft makes more money from patent licensing into Android > manufacturers than it does on Windows Mobile. > > > Barnes & Noble distributes the Nook Color and Nook Tablet, > Android-based tablet/e-book devices. Well, Barnes & Noble has refused > to roll over and be extorted by Microsoft over patents. Read the > groklaw.net articles and see the details. > http://groklaw.net/article.php?story=2011111122291296 > http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20111111121548972 > > (From groklaw article...): "Barnes & Noble asserts that Microsoft is > attempting "to use patents to drive open source software out of the > market," saying it, in essence, is acting like a patent troll, > threatening companies using Android with a destructive and > anticompetitive choice: pay Microsoft exorbitant rates for patents, some > trivial and others ridiculously invalid or clearly not infringed, or > spend a fortune on litigation." > > So, while I'm not a Nook owner (and not much into portable digital book > reading...) I will be a Barnes & Noble fan and customer for life if they > stand by these claims and either cause the USPTO to reform the patent > system, or cause the DOJ to investigate Microsoft seriously. > > _______________________________________________ > LinuxUsers mailing list > LinuxUsers@socallinux.org > http://socallinux.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/linuxusers > -- "As we open our newspapers or watch our television screens, we seem to be continually assaulted by the fruits of Mankind's stupidity." -Roger Penrose _______________________________________________ LinuxUsers mailing list LinuxUsers@socallinux.org http://socallinux.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/linuxusers
