Microsoft's Hottest New Profit Center: Android • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft's Hottest New Profit Center: Android

#21

Post by gillygize » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 3:36 AM UTC

zeddez wrote: post #20

joshma wrote: post #14

Is there any reason why Microsoft isn't going after Google? I recall reading somewhere that it's because Google isn't actually producing the phone. Can anyone confirm this, or is just cowardice?

There is a difference between direct and indirect patent infringement. Google provides the Android source, but the companies that are being sued are directly infringing by selling and distributing products based on these patents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_infringement_under_Unite... Google naturally has the choice to indemnify Android distributors and protect them from patent infringement. Google chooses no…

Does the Nexus One or Nexus S blur this line at all? In that case, it seems like Google is doing more than simply making the source code available. Those phones actually carry its brand.

Re: Microsoft's Hottest New Profit Center: Android

#22

Post by jrockway » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 3:55 AM UTC

This is America's new legal strategy: beating up the small guys with big sticks. Companies with patents go after small companies or individual developers with their patents -- IBM never gets sued for patent infringement. Companies with copyrights go after as many little guys as possible, and make their money "in volume" because file-sharing lawsuits are cheaper to settle than to contest.

This is not "promoting the progress of the arts"; it's bullies shaking us all down, with the government happily watching.

Re: Microsoft's Hottest New Profit Center: Android

#23

Post by qeorge » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 4:10 AM UTC

Corrado wrote: post #11

What specifically are the IP issues that Android has? I looked in the article but there was only a passing mention of some claims in a link. A couple of the claims looked like they were about long and short filenames. If that's true then software patents are truly evil and should be abolished yesterday. :/

MS maintains that Linux kernel violates its patents, and sues anyone who makes enough money with a product using Linux (e.g., TomTom [1]).

MS likes to refer to "235 patents" that Linux allegedly violates, but they aren't forthcoming with what the specific violations are. That said, they do have some fairly ridiculous patents under their belts, (like the FAT filesystem [2]), so they could probably dredge something up.

With Android more specifically, there is also ActiveSync (Exchange's protocol).

[1] http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/02/QA_Microsofts_chief...

[2] http://news.cnet.com/Microsofts-file-system-patent-upheld/21...

Re: Microsoft's Hottest New Profit Center: Android

#24

Post by kenjackson » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 5:31 AM UTC

gillygize wrote: post #21

zeddez wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a difference between direct and indirect patent infringement. Google provides the Android source, but the companies that are being sued are directly infringing by selling and distributing products based on these patents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_infringement_under_Unite... Google naturally has the choice to indemnify Android distributors and protect them from patent infringement. Google chooses no…

Does the Nexus One or Nexus S blur this line at all? In that case, it seems like Google is doing more than simply making the source code available. Those phones actually carry its brand.

Microsoft has a deal with Samsung already in place. See: http://news.cnet.com/Microsoft%2C-Samsung-in-patent-swap-dea...

the software maker specifically notes that the deal will allow Samsung to offer products using Linux without concern that Microsoft will sue it or its customers.

And another deal with HTC. http://www.androidguys.com/2010/04/28/htc-pay-microsoft-roya...

So both of those phones are covered.

Re: Microsoft's Hottest New Profit Center: Android

#25

Post by erikb » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 9:38 AM UTC

zacgarrett wrote: post #9

erikb wrote: post #8

Interesting news. But has a page 2. So, I can't read the story to the end, nor give you the actually earned upvote. Really sorry, Jon.

Like a lot of sites there is the print button which includes the entire article. http://www.networkworld.com/cgi-bin/mailto/x.cgi?pagetosend=...

It's a really nice trick. I keep that in mind. But beside that, is anything wrong as a person who often reads a lot of articles to ask for articles beein shown in a way that is more easily readable?