Microsoft signs yet another Android licensing agreement

Microsoft has signed their 10th Android patent deal this weekend, coming into money via Compal Electronics of China.

The company has coerced deals out of Samsung, HTC, Wistron, Quanta, Acer and General Dynamics Itronix.

As with past deals the patent agreement covers all Android or Chrome OS tablets, smartphones and e-readers Compal creates.

Compal, while not a household name in the U.S., produces smartphones/tablets/e-readers for third parties and has a massive $28 billion revenue per year.

Says Microsoft (via Crunch):

We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Compal, one of the leaders in the original design manufacturing, or ODM, industry. Together with the license agreements signed in the past few months with Wistron and Quanta Computer, today's agreement with Compal means more than half of the world's ODM industry for Android and Chrome devices is now under license to Microsoft's patent portfolio.

We are proud of the continued success of our licensing program in resolving IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome.

It is unclear how much Microsoft will make of this latest deal but it is expected to be in the same range as other deals, $5-$10 per device sold.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 23 Oct 2011 21:44

xyqo

This is rape. plain and simple!

XXYYQQOO!!! Yeah WELCOME TO JAMROCK

23.10.2011 22:41 #1

xtago

This is how the disputes are sorted properly.

Nothing is 100% free, but if you come to agreements then things will be fine.

Unlike what Apple are doing with all the patent suites which only screw around those who aren't interested in Apple products anyway, so puts them off even more so.

24.10.2011 03:18 #2

KillerBug

This is (mostly) how things are meant to be done under the current crazy system...while Apple simply uses patents to block competition, Microsoft makes more money on patent fees for Android than they do on WinPhone7 sales.

The only really shady part is that a lot of the patents they have were open source releases that were not patented by the original creators, which microsoft got patents on through less than ethical ways. Plus, a lot of the patents are insanely vague, some covering things that were being done before Microsoft existed.

24.10.2011 10:42 #3

juventini

So, that how they make their profit. Silly me, I thought it was through their SH#! of operating systems.

Forza Juve!!

24.10.2011 11:32 #4

KillerBug

Originally posted by juventini: So, that how they make their profit. Silly me, I thought it was through their SH#! of operating systems. Don't forget the bid-free government contracts.

24.10.2011 22:44 #5

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