Microsoft Files Suit to Block Sale of Several Motorola Mobility Android Phones

[dgstorm]

Lately, it seems as if Apple has been the only company in the spotlight lately in regards to potential "patent trolling"; however, today Microsoft has jumped back into the fray to remind us that they are in on the action too. On Monday, Microsoft filed suit against Motorola Mobility in front of United States International Trade Commission in order to block the sale of several phones, including the Droid 2, Droid X, Cliq XT, Devour and Backflip smartphones. One of Microsoft’s vice presidents, David Howard, told Bloomberg “Motorola is infringing on our patents and we are confident that the ITC will rule in our favor.” The ITC is investigating and will likely not wrap things up until March 5th of next year.

Here's a quote from the BGR article with Motorola's response to the lawsuit,

A Motorola Mobility spokeswoman told Bloomberg that the company is “vigorously defending … against Microsoft’s patent attack business strategy,” and that the company has also “brought legal actions of our own in the U.S. and in Europe to address Microsoft’s large scale of infringement of Motorola Mobility’s patents.”

This really seems like a "jerk-move" on Microsoft's part. Some people may debate whether Apple is stretching the bounds of ethics with all of their "IP Wars", but it seems pretty obvious here that Microsoft is just trying to pour legal pressure on to Android, rather than actually trying to protect its interests. For one, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 is basically turning out to be a flop which means they have no real argument as an innovator the way Apple does. Also, if Motorola were really infringing on Microsoft's patents, then why didn't they bring this lawsuit sooner? These phones are from last year!

I know it tends to be easy to bash on Microsoft, and we shouldn't jump to conclusions because of that, but isn't this just lame?

Source: Android.net via BGR

 

[dAi]

Yes it is lame! The hell with Microsoft !

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

 

[gmorgan056]

I really wish we could sue Microsoft and Apple for suing everyone else. It's ridiculous.

 

[steveninspokane]

All I am saying is, if they block the sale of my Bionic, there is going to be heck to pay!

 

[Sweettooth]

If you ask me, this is the reason copyrights and patents exist in the first place; they aren't there to protect anything, they're simply there to make money.

Everyone knows that no matter how many patents/copyrights you own, someone will still make a product similar to yours if not better. I'd say it was a pretty ballsy move on Microsoft's part though considering they are barely bringing anything to the table. Patent/copyright wars may work when you're a real competitor but the end of all this will likely result in some manufacturers getting smart and creating brand new technology that doesn't infringe on anyone else's property. That technology will be better and faster, and be put into a line of devices not available to the companies fueling this boring endeavor and they"ll collapse under the weight of their own debt and shame.

Maybe this is a good thing for us users, as I think it makes things twice as competitive. Companies will only shell out patent/copyright fees for so long; after that they'll simply reinvent the wheel and steamroll everyone else.

 

[nikecar]

And I'm sure Moto is in their 17K patent library looking to slap MS with a few hundred.

 

[Trusstopher]

If you ask me, this is the reason copyrights and patents exist in the first place; they aren't there to protect anything, they're simply there to make money.

Everyone knows that no matter how many patents/copyrights you own, someone will still make a product similar to yours if not better. I'd say it was a pretty ballsy move on Microsoft's part though considering they are barely bringing anything to the table. Patent/copyright wars may work when you're a real competitor but the end of all this will likely result in some manufacturers getting smart and creating brand new technology that doesn't infringe on anyone else's property. That technology will be better and faster, and be put into a line of devices not available to the companies fueling this boring endeavor and they"ll collapse under the weight of their own debt and shame.

Maybe this is a good thing for us users, as I think it makes things twice as competitive. Companies will only shell out patent/copyright fees for so long; after that they'll simply reinvent the wheel and steamroll everyone else.

But then who ever does that will get sued because Apple invented and patented steamrolling... on and reinventing.... there invented reinventing too... so yeah, they will have to come up with something new without reinventing anyone, and if they do, they have only be mediocre... I don't think apple has locked on to mediocre yet, or have they?

 

[Trusstopher]

Wow, that had a lot more typos than I thought... crappy no edit button. Oh well.

 

[johnomaz]

...buy why older phones that aren't being produced anymore or about to be ended.

 

[trestevenson]

I can't help but wonder whether Microsoft feels emboldened by Apple's success in getting the Galaxy Tab blocked in Europe. If Cupertino was able to restrict the sale of an Android-based product in a large market, what's to stop Redmond from giving it a shot? What do they have to lose but a little bit of pocket change? Perhaps they figure this'll pressure Motorola Mobility/Google into a licensing deal? Or if the sale of these phones is blocked, they'll have some sort of precedent to push for the restriction of sale for future phones that are based on this technology.

Our patent system needs a serious overhaul...

 

[jkhonea]

What I'm curious of is why everyone thinks Google isn't suing anyone else. Do you really believe them to be that altruistic? Just because it isn't in the press doesn't mean it isn't happening. Like I said, this is business as usual for ALL corporations. If you think otherwise, you're delusional.

 

[Sweettooth]

Apple and Microsoft invented the internet and will be suing everyone in the world when all of this is done.

 

[FasterX]

Can I sue Microsoft because Vista blows and I'm not paying $80 for 7? And the fact that Microsoft is suing anyone for stealing anything is f'in hilarious...

 

[sarreq]

have you noticed they're all older, out of date, and mostly no longer sold phones? what exactly is MS trying to accomplish here?

 

[New2u]

...buy why older phones that aren't being produced anymore or about to be ended.

Wondering that much myself. Seeing as the droid 3, and droid x2 are both out. Are they trying to block those too, or do they just now want to go back and get money from Motorola for using it's patents.