Microsoft’s mobile’s strategy (aka feeding off Android’s success like a parasite) seems to be paying off. The company just forced two more Android OEMs into paying license fees for using Google’s Android. Both Velocity Micro and General Dynamics have agreed to pay Microsoft a royalty in order to use Android.
Even though both companies are relatively small players in the Android world, these victories do help Microsoft’s case in future lawsuits against bigger manufacturers. If Velocity Micro has to pay a fee, why shouldn’t Motorola, Samsung and LG have to pay as well? And just like that, Microsoft could make more money from Android than Google itself. Ridiculous.
We can’t really blame Microsoft for wanting to benefit from Android’s explosive growth. Especially since the company’s mobile platform, Windows Phone, is getting steamrolled by the Android war machine. If you can’t beat ‘em, sue ‘em. Meanwhile Google is running away with the whole mobile market, leaving space only for Apple’s iOS.
That doesn’t mean that Google doesn’t have a plan to fend off patent trolls like Oracle and Microsoft. The company is set on buying Nortel’s patent portfolio, which should help them counter-attack Microsoft and free Android OEMs from these absurd license fees. For obvious reasons, Ballmer an Co. don’t want Google to destroy their only source of mobile-related income. That’s why the company is working hard to block Google’s acquisition of Nortel’s patents. Let’s pray Google is able to get their hands on those patents and end this madness.
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