bjoernvold.com

Why compete when you can sue?

I sincerely hope that this article is wrong. I hope that Microsoft can actually choose to compete without resorting to a “battle of mysterious unnamed patents” with Android. It’s the same old, tired argument that Microsoft has been using against Linux for some time now.

The Windows Phone 7 platform actually looks pretty neat and one might think that we could not resort to weak scare tactics with the “whomever has the biggest legal coffer wins” approach. What has stopped Microsoft from going after the Linux Foundation, then? Simple: the same thing that been held against other Microsoft interests. The Linux Foundation, along with its own corporate partners, have patents that they can use against Microsoft as well.

You know it really makes me shake my head. Every time Microsoft is in the news for patent violations, why, there must be some kind of huge mistake. But by George, if you have unnamed patents being allegedly violated, companies bow to pressure out of fear of losing millions in court. Fact: if Microsoft had a leg to stand on, it’d stop going after users of the OS products (the OEMs, handset makers, etc.) and focus their efforts on Google and the Linux Foundation. Until this happens, Microsoft needs to put up or shut up. Sick to death of its saber rattling. If it has a legal claim, then act on it with the appropriate party.

But go ahead Microsoft — seems that those using Linux have learned well from your tactics.

viking60 wrote:http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20003688-94.html

"The net is a changed dynamic in the cost of what implementing (an) OS really is and handset vendors' willingness to settle patent claims or go through the hassle of the courts," Gartenberg wrote. If Android partners have to account for the cost of defending themselves against patent claims or making licensing payments as part of the cost of building an Android phone, the process no longer appears to be free.

viking60 wrote:I am suprised that Google is hanging them out to dry. Microsoft will try to make every free software in the world expensive - we know that. It is impossible to maintain the prices for inferior software. And it is intollerable that the better solution is free. So "protection money" is the deal - and if you don't play along they "braka you face eh" . Multo bene Microsoft.
Benefiting from the work of others has ben uplifted to an art in Redmond.