Microsoft Inks Android Patent License With Another Company: Compal

[dgstorm]

From the way things are turning out, Microsoft is laughing all the way to the bank at Android's success. They just worked out yet another licensing deal with an Android manufacturer; a company named Compal. Now, Microsoft has licensing deals with over half of all Android manufacturers. You can see far Microsoft's licensing progression has come in the graph above. Here is Microsoft's statement on the matter,

“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Compal, one of the leaders in the original design manufacturing, or ODM, industry. Together with the license agreements signed in the past few months with Wistron and Quanta Computer, today’s agreement with Compal means more than half of the world’s ODM industry for Android and Chrome devices is now under license to Microsoft’s patent portfolio,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. “We are proud of the continued success of our licensing program in resolving IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome.”

I know it is just a "corporate-speak lip-service document" with all the feeling of a dental patient with too much Novocaine, but doesn't its tone just seem a little bit smug? At least they are actually willing to work with licensing agreements instead of just trying to drive their competition out of the business...

Share your thoughts in the forums.

Source: DroidMatters

 

[akhenax]

Can someone explain in laymen terms why and how Microsoft gets money from Android's success?

 

[akhi216]

From the way things are turning out, Microsoft is laughing all the way to the bank at Android's success. They just worked out yet another licensing deal with an Android manufacturer; a company named Compal. Now, Microsoft has licensing deals with over half of all Android manufacturers. You can see far Microsoft's licensing progression has come in the graph above. Here is Microsoft's statement on the matter,I know it is just a "corporate-speak lip-service document" with all the feeling of a dental patient with too much Novocaine, but doesn't its tone just seem a little bit smug? At least they are actually willing to work with licensing agreements instead of just trying to drive their competition out of the business...

Share your thoughts in the forums.

Source: DroidMatters

Sounds to me that Motorola just paved the way for bringing something huge to the table. My speculation would be that now they can add Webtop and laptop dock capabilities that utilize Chrome OS to their resume considering Google's impending acquistion of them.

I smell brilliance...

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums

 

[akhi216]

Can someone explain in laymen terms why and how Microsoft gets money from Android's success?

Do a Google search for "Microsoft gets paid from Android." Microsoft, a bigger patent troll than CrApple, won legal disputes against manufacturers of Android devices that resulted in the manufacturers having to pay royalties or something like that to them for every Android device that they sell. Believe it or not, Microsoft makes more money off of Android than Google because of this.

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[rcjames]

It's okay atleast the manufacture get to use something that is useful from Microsoft. Microsoft believe it or not has better technology and great patent then other. Look at what you can do with Microsoft windows. So popular it just works. I'm a linux fan though but not a Microsoft hater. I'm a apple hater.

 

[sb1831]

Can someone explain in laymen terms why and how Microsoft gets money from Android's success?

Microsoft is an old company with a LOT of patents. Most of common every day stuff you see on computers and other OS is under a Microsoft patent. Click and drag? Graphic menu selection? Flash memory utilization? All the cool stuff on computers and phones? MS has a patent on it.

It all comes down to numbers though. Microsoft has had people banging out code for years. They also had to fore site to protect their IP. There are over 10 million lines of code in Android. Sooner or later someone would have found something that infringed on their IP.

 

[rcjames]

Yup I agree with you. Microsoft founded 1975 with Bill gate and Paul Allen. Since then there is so much patent to protect their technology. I remember the great DOS they had to offer in Dos I remember the great games I was playing back then. Wouldn't anyone protect their invention? For sure I will. I don't think Microsoft would be laughing at Android though. If anything Android should be laughing at Apple! Rumors are rumors.