PizzaFaceGamer on 16 July 2011
How is Android being hurt?
Currently phone manufacturers pay Microsoft licensing fees for their intellectual property, and because of this, Android will be another BILLION DOLLAR business for Microsoft by next year. If Microsoft gets the largest Android maker (Samsung) to agree to its 15$ per shipped unit MS will be making multiple billions per year on intellectual patents ALONE. If Samsung does not agree to MS's price demands they will face potentially even costlier, protracted litigation with no guarantees of victory.
Why is Android so vulnerable??
Google only has 700 patents compared to Microsoft's 17,000
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/c4aa233a-ada8-11e0-9038-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1SCj1l5sg
Who is ROCKSTAR BIDCO & how did they just cripple Android?
Apple, Microsoft and to lesser degree RIM created Rockstar Bidco as a front group to outbid google for 6,000 Nortel patents at a recent bankruptcy sale. Google bid 4 billion dollars, but lost to Rockstar Bidco's 4.5 billion dollar offer. The sale was approved by the courts yesterday
What does this mean for the future of Android? Well Android is VERY VULNERABLE to their competitor's lawsuits because it is entirely open-source.
Right now, Android manufacturers are systematically being targeted by Microsoft, Apple and Oracle. Microsoft in particular has been locking up licensing agreements with manufacturers, getting them to pay patent royalties because of alleged Android patent infringement of Microsoft IP. Microsoft has now set its sights on Samsung, the largest of the Android manufacturers, looking to extract $15 a device. Oracle is also approaching manufacturers about licensing deals.
Meanwhile, patent troll Lodsys is going after Android developers with claims that they’re infringing on patents regarding in-app purchase. While Apple has filed a motion to intervene on behalf of its developers against similar claims, Google hasn’t said anything yet.
Google has made clear that it thinks the patent system is broken and will be looking for reform. The loss of the Nortel patents may be another catalyst for that effort. But those things take time. Right now, Android continues to look vulnerable and companies like Oracle, which is pursuing a patent infringement case against Google, are not letting up on the patent issue.
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Android seems to be benefitting google's competitors at the moment, more than google. How ironic...don't you think?
