bjoernvold.com

I guess Android is not as clean as we hoped for. HTC went to Microsoft after being sued by Apple, to expand the patent portfolio.

Microsoft gets paid

That HTC Android phone you bought made Microsoft a few bucks in license fees. On the back of the news that Microsoft (MSFT) is suing Motorola (MOT) for patent infringments related to Android, Steve Ballmer tells the Wall Street Journal that HTC is paying a license fee for its use of Android...and that other Android manufactures may be forced to do the same.

They needed something to fight with I guess.

It does not say what the fuzz was about. On what the patent are? Looks, Feel...

This patent crap need to stop now.

If we apply to vehicles, BMW should get a royalty for every motorcycle in the planet.
The way the clutch, throttle and brakes are laid out, BMW did it 1st.
And nobody is suing...

They do it because they let them.

It could be more FUD too...

Sure it is. I do not think for a minute that Microsoft has developed anything for Android. Micrsoft just tends to claim that they have the right to every functioning computer and gadget with an OS.

There are some patents that dies within few years. The drug industry patent their drugs and is locked in for few years so they can recuperate from the cost of research. Software patents should be that way too. Give few years to get your money back from the hard work and that is it.

Apparently, Software patents seems to linger forever and that is not right.

The other are frivolous patents like some that comes natural to human behavior.

How can you patent some that you born doing it?
Like point and click. That is just normal for anybody to point and execute some.
I think MS was trying to patent that when even Apple did it 1st.
Last stupid thing that I heard was that Apple was trying to patent the sweeping motion on a touch screen.

Yes patents like that should simply not be possible.