Microsoft says 70 percent of all Android phones sold in the U.S. are covered by its portfolio
Microsoft today announced that Korean smartphone (and everything else) manufacturer LG has signed a licensing agreement for tablets, phones and other devices that run Android or Chrome. Like the previous agreements Microsoft has signed with the likes of HTC, Samsung and others, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Microsoft attorney Horacio Gutierrez, in a statement, lauded the "mutally beneficial agreement" and said that 70 percent of Android smartphones sold in the United States are now licensing Microsoft patents.
“We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Together with our 10 previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than 70 percent of all Android smartphones sold in the U.S. are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. “We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS.”
As for LG's side of the equation, the manufacturer (naturally) put a positive spin on the licensing deal, saying in the end, for both companies, it all comes down to producing products for consumers. LG spokesman Ken Hong told Android Central:
"We're of course pleased we could come to amicable terms with Microsoft, whom LG has had a great working relationship with for years. This agreement allows both companies to move beyond the legal issues and get on with doing what both companies do best, which is developing products and delivering services that benefit consumers."
Regarding Chrome being part of the licensing agreement, Hong told Android Central "the deal includes Chrome but we don't have a Chromebook in development at this moment." That could be some forward-looking licensing -- ie a Chromebook or some other Chrome-based device could one day be in development -- or it possibly could be for LG's new 3D Google TV.
Our question now is how long the 30 percent of unlicensed devices (hi, Motorola) is going to be able to hold Microsoft off, and what cards they're holding if they do.
Reader comments
LG the latest Android manufacturer to enter into licensing deal with Microsoft
I have a feeling this is more from a fear of Apple then M$ winning something at this point
“We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement"
I think that is what lawyers say when they make nookie with their girlfriends.
Well the 30% is most likely Motorola, so I don't think we'll see them give in to Microsoft anytime in the near future.
And what about: Barnes and Noble, who actually had the guts to tell them to screw and decided to bring up the issue in court...
Last time I checked B&N did make a....and I quote from the title of this story "Android phones"
To hell with the bully MS. They'd better hurry implementing dual-core support in their mobile OS, instead of squeezing money from Android phone users (who are the ones picking up the tab eventually).
LOL @ you. MS bully? Android started suing every one else first.. they just lost..... HAHA .. android decided to make their os OPEN SOURCE ,,,and stolen codes get thrown in their by any random JOE... and now MS is the bad guy?? android screwed up.. and now they pay for it.
Ok.. I must have missed the original story.. Why is Microsoft getting a cut from Android phone makers again? This is Googles software not Microsofts? So why the hell would anyone pay Microsoft for technology that is not even developed by them?
Someone correct me if this isn't the whole truth, but Microsoft has made various "deals" with certain manufacturers of Android phones (the people making the hardware) over claims that the Android operating system uses ideas from patents that they own. Microsoft receives a certain of money for each phone sold by the manufacturer they have deals with. This really just spells out a bad situation for consumers overall because that cost is passed down to us.
This is very short-sighted on the part of Microsoft. As an open access platform, Android interfaces quite nicely with Windows and that is window's bread and butter. That is Window's future. And that is what consumers want.
I don't know about short sighted... MS gets paid for a platform that will still interface nicely with Windows. Not taking MS side, necessarily, just pointing out that MS clearly thinks they can have Android & eat it too. On the plus side, MS now has a financial incentive to support Android, rather than look at it as the arch enemy (your not going to see Apple supporting Android for anything... just look at how hard they fought to keep Palm from wirelessly syncing with iTunes). Not saying it's good, just trying to look beyond the moment.
Well there should be freedom of choose
Come on cover some back story on this. MS wont go after Moto unless the Google deal falls through. The whole key to these deals is that no one outside yhr deals knows what the patents are. They go afuermoto and then Google knows and can work around.d them.if there are any at all.
MS gets a cut , because android Stole Pattens from MS. every single Android phone that gets made gets a cut thrown at MS . only reason we hear of LG NOW . is because LG just made there FIRST android phone..... this is been going on over 1 year. (HTc ,Samsung , , LG they all have to pay royalty. OLD NEWS!!) just a matter of time for Motorola to start paying does IP fees.
So much for android Being a FREE OS. HAHA.... keep buying does android phones people.... lol
as for who ever talks about duel core.. WP doesn't need duel-core and still runs faster and smother then 99.99% of ALL android phones.
beside duel core int needed to make a phone good. Duel core = Lure in suckers that dont know shit about cell phones... like 99% of the people.
not there first and i am sorry but i have played with windows phones they aren't bad but my android is snappier than all i have played with and it is singe core too so please dont call people suckers when for wanting dual cores in their phones
ok not the first... but they are new to smartphones ... (compare to others they little baby's. )
you find your android snappier? funny cause even if you have the NEXUS on android 4.0 , firs gen WP run smother ( even confirmed at CES this year ) .... and actually comparing 2 stock phones side by side right now...... nexus int that fast... unless you put custom ROMS.
Androids NEED duel-core to be snappy . not WP... must i say more?
honestly i dotn care what OS you chose in the end ( what ever YOU like ) , just pointing out statistics.