Breaking News: Microsoft sues Motorola/Android over patent infringement

[droid_mike]

I haven't been able to find the exact patents.

For those wondering what patents are in the complaint to the ITC here they are:

5,579,517 Common name space for long and short filenames
5,758,352 Common name space for long and short filenames
6,621,746 Monitoring entropic conditions of a flash memory device as an indicator for invoking erasure operations
6,826,762 Radio interface layer in a cell phone with a set of APIs having a hardware-independent proxy layer and a hardware-specific driver layer
6,909,910 Method and system for managing changes to a contact database
7,644,376 Flexible architecture for notifying applications of state changes
5,664,133 Context sensitive menu system/menu behavior
6,578,054 Method and system for supporting off-line mode of operation and synchronization using resource state information
6,370,566 Generating meeting requests and group scheduling from a mobile device

source

Talk about massive prior art on almost all of these.

 

[WenWM]

Microsoft is pickin' on the wrong dude! Motorola has so many patents on cell phone stuff, they will be on Microsoft's behind like a pair of fruit of the looms.

HTC chose to settle so they could get some help against apple. Motorola will probably countersue. I expect a doozy of a lawsuit from them.

But thats where your wrong. Dont forget that Motorola's mobile department lays on Android and if they cant do anything... Microsoft Wins.

 

[Canadroid]

The benefits of paying the licensing fee don't appear to be clear to Motorola. "Microsoft has a value-based model. Their perception is that they create value in the OS and people will pay. That's a fine point," said Sandeep Sinha, a director at Motorola, at the TechNW conference in Seattle on Monday. "Right now, I don't know the value between Windows Phone 7 and Android."

Hahaha, NICE!

As far as the patents listed by Omega_Droid....some of those specific functions listed seem broad enough to me it's almost as if they (MS) patented some of this stuff with the expectation to be litigating over it in the near future...?

 

[everstar80]

Microsoft just wanted a way in; it's corporate bullying and they see how fast android is catching on and they want the money. So many people are going to be pissed if this delays all the great new devices that are coming later this year. Can this lawsuit stop the release of the future android devices?

 

[jack902902]

Motorola is using that OS, and that makes Motorola Google's accomplice.

Then from there, they will work their way down the line, forcing every phone maker to conform. When no one is left, they will go after Google.

 

[Pandemic187]

Reading the responses here, it blows my mind that a lot of people over at Engadget think Microsoft is the good guy. Seriously. Look the article up there. Reading the comments makes you wonder how someone can be so dense.

 

[Pandemic187]

Here's the article, in case anyone wants to peruse:

Microsoft files ITC complaint against Motorola over alleged Android-related patent infringement -- Engadget

WARNING: Reading some of the comments may make you want to claw your eyes out.

 

[BlackOtaku]

SCO has tried and lost against Linux , that fight was funded by Micro$oft.
Android is safe, but Motorola's UI maybe not .

The thing is, SCO was fighting several large companies. Red Hat, Novell, IBM, hell IBM was their main target. Realistically, even with the constant resurrections, they couldn't seriously outfinance IBM, let alone Red Hat and Novell getting involved. SCO also had a rather weak case.

Microsoft sues or threatens a lot of Linux companies and gets licensing monies pretty much everytime. Their patents may be bs, but no one has enough money or the balls to challenge them. This alone could discourage manufacturers from using Android/Linux. The Open Invention Network is a joke, IMO because the motivations there aren't as they seem...

Android's biggest problem in my opinion is the Oracle suit though. Oracle seems, for whatever reason, more interested in killing Android than just getting royalties. :icon_ nono2: