Barnes & Noble appealed to U.S. justice department to examine Microsoft’s monopoly to use its patent agreement. The company has asserted that Microsoft is erroneously exercising its patent and indulges in stipulating licensing royalty from Android.
On Oct 17, 2011, Barnes & Noble said in a letter to the Justice Department’s chief counsel for competition policy-Gene Kimmelman– “Microsoft is embarking on a campaign of asserting trivial and outmoded patents against manufacturers of Android devices. Microsoft is attempting to raise its rivals’ costs in order to drive out competition and to deter innovation in mobile devices.”
In contrast of Barnes & Noble, Microsoft delivered the statement saying: “All modern operating systems include many patented technologies. 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.”
At present, Microsoft is intimidating Android phone manufacture to reimburse for use of it patent. In spite to manufacture a competing product, Microsoft has adopted the legitimate harassing monopoly to defeat the competitor and I think Android is furthermost rival of Microsoft Windows Phone manufacturer.
Using Patent issue, Microsoft has compelled multiple Android vendors- including HTC and Samsung- to work on the Windows Phone platform.
After Microsoft’s latest patent licensing agreement with compal-original device manufacturer, the company is claiming that its intellectual property (IP) licensing agreement covers more than half of Android Smartphone market.
Before the patent war would reach to extreme level, the U.S. justice department need to take rigor stride to impede Microsoft’s monopoly which would danger to innovation and wastage of billions of dollar. It’s been few days when Google hit back Microsoft by accusing their act danger for industry and consumers.
Interestingly, Microsoft has minted million dollars through the sale of Android phones via Samsung and HTC. Furthermore, the earning from Android is higher than the sale of its own mobile OS WP7.
Just so
I’m clear, Microsoft with its 5.8% market share after investing heavily in
mobile research and development as well as the costly acquisition of important
mobile phone technologies and patents is abusing its monopolistic position by
asking for competitors to pay for licenses for its technology?
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I thought
that’s what patents were for or is the suggestion that Microsoft should invest
heavily in research and development and then give it all away to its
competitors who have chosen not to invest in such programs despite owning much
larger market shares?
Not only is this silly, but the idea that Barnes & Noble is going to combat
the wastage of billions of dollars of legal battles by asking the justice
departments legal counsel to go on the offensive against one company,
Microsoft, which will inevitably result in massive legal battles is just as
silly.
This just sounds like the current market leaders not liking the prospect of
competition which might force them to invest in their own research and
development programs. There’s nothing like the prospect of having to innovate
or pay license fees while others innovate to make some companies quake.