Barnes & Noble wants U.S. regulators to investigate Microsoft and its portfolio of patents, fearing a monopoly.
Facing a February trial stemming around Microsoft's Android patent claims, Barnes & Noble alleges that Microsoft is attempting to raise its rivals' costs by using "trivial and outmoded patents" in order to drive out competition and to deter innovation in mobile devices. The book retailer is now asking U.S. regulators to investigate whether Microsoft is trying to monopolize the mobile sector by demanding Android-related patent royalties.
"Microsoft is embarking on a campaign of asserting trivial and outmoded patents against manufacturers of Android devices," Barnes & Noble said in an Oct. 17 letter to Gene Kimmelman, the Justice Department’s chief counsel for competition policy.
The upcoming trial slated for February 2012 is based on accusations presented by Microsoft that claim Barnes & Noble infringes on five patents. Microsoft previously filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, seeking to block imports of the NOOK readers. Microsoft insists that the underlying NOOK OS -- naturally Google's Android -- uses its patented inventions. Microsoft has already landed licensing deals with HTC and Samsung.
"All modern operating systems include many patented technologies," Microsoft said in a statement. "Microsoft has taken licenses to patents for Windows and we make our patents available on reasonable terms for other operating systems, like Android. We would be pleased to extend a license to Barnes & Noble."
Barnes & Noble said that part of Microsoft's tactics to to raise rivals’ costs included the participation in a group of companies to buy Novell patents. Microsoft has also reportedly participated in a three-way licensing agreement with Nokia and Mosaid Technologies. These two specific actions are supposedly intended to "prevent Android- based devices from taking away sales of Microsoft’s Windows operating system."
Although actual figures were not provided, Barnes & Noble said that Microsoft is demanding the same amount in patent fees that the Redmond company charges users of its Windows Phone platform.
"Yo dawg, I heard you like patents, so we put a patent in yo patent so you can patent while you patent!"
there i fix it.
now on topic:
Barnes and nobles got a point about microsoft may monopolizing patents and so. but they're wrong in the point of Microsoft's "embarking on a campaign of asserting trivial and outmoded patents against manufacturers of Android devices" as they don't want android or google ruined but only again protect their tech and developments from things like being suit for how a boton looks like.
i don't really understand the patent system you guys got on US. but i don't see microsoft playing blind-suit like apple.
In other words, I just think there's the usual Microsoft-bashing going on.
In any case, as screwed up as the patent system is, any further reviewing of such important patents as these is probably a good thing. At least maybe it is another chance to thin out any particularly bad ones.
Barnes & Noble still lives in a world where common sense means something. now, im not saying that microsoft only has patents, like move finger to unlock, but dont they hold a patent that basically states "send email on wireless device"
microsoft may hold valid patents, but some of those patents are now, so retardedly obvious, and possibly the only way of doing something, that thy should no longer be.
I think this has been probed already in 1997 case against Apple, and most recently by EU investigating Microsoft. If companies dislike patents so much, they should be going after IBM instead of Microsoft...IBM holds a huge number of patents too.
In other words, I just think there's the usual Microsoft-bashing going on.
how many times do you see IBM making news because of its patent trolling? IBM is a giant just watching the little children squabble in the dirt.
What I want to know is... If android is infringing on these patents then another free OS such as Linux surely must be as well. Linux has everything. I guess M$ does not see Linux as a threat.
Agreed, IBM is too busy getting stuff done to worry about patents. Or maybe they already get royalties
Back on topic: Good for them, there's nothing wrong with doing a little review of Microsoft's patents, hopefully they'll all be invalidated for being trivial and stupid. Kudos to B&N for growing a pair, unlike some of their tablet and smartphone competitors.
But IBM doesn't abuse those patents. Microsoft and Apple does
Remember that if you ever come up with a patent and go and sue someone big in the Eastern District of Texas because you feel they infringed on it. I'm sure YOU won't feel that YOU are abusing YOUR patent. But hey, as long as you can bash....
No more "anticompetitive" than any other company that has a product that uses the patent (i.e. not a true patent troll).
lol u used "sajo"....
Google have been happy to let hardware vendors do licensing deals so far but this could open a gateway for a direct action against them and maybe even an injunction.
If B&N lose, Google will not be happy, let's hope it is all just sabre rattling and it goes away.