
Huawei can’t officially use microSD cards in its phones going forward - nwrk
https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/24/18638539/huawei-microsd-card-sd-association-us-trump-ban
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deogeo
Requiring a license to use a standard storage medium is just another barrier
preventing new competitors from entering the market. While I fully support the
US trying to disentangle itself from technological dependence on China, these
kind of licensing agreements cannot die soon enough, and should be banned as
anti-competitive.

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panpanna
This article is just plain stupid.

At this point Huawei can do whatever they want, including using microsd but
not paying any patent and licensing fees. SD association cannot do anything to
stop Huawei now that US already has played it's strongest hand.

Huawei has no market presence in US. Outside US you can not sue them because
"your honor we wanted to pay them the fees but their government blocked it"

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gamblor956
The SD association can get bans on Huawei phones in other countries as well...

IP protection is an actual thing outside China.

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Keverw
I haven't really been following the Huawei story too much, but I find it
ironic they are handing them out as part of what people call the "Obama Phone"
program. Looks like May 2018 [1] they were banned from using gov funds on
Huawei. Someone I know in the middle of a divorce who recently got one around
December. She was asking me for help with hers since I'm a tech geek. It's
just basically a cheap Android Phone.

Maybe they just have a bunch on hand they plan to get rid of and then find a
new supplier but might depend on the county levels too... Not too sure how
that works, just find it odd the gov themself are giving out a phone they are
banned from buying.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Service_Fund#Concern...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Service_Fund#Concerns_about_2018_changes)

Edited: Oh looks like the concern is spying...

Makes me wonder though... Many American phones like the iPhone is made in
China too, why don't they ban chinese made iPhone's too then, what stops the
factory from slipping something in those products?

Also looks like Android updates and Google Play might quit working too at some
point... Be interesting if Google could release something to turn those
existing phones into a "Pure Google" type of experience.

It seems like having all these unpatched and no longer supported Android
phones in itself seems like a security risk.

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hungryhobo
Huawei uses nm cards, their own standard. Now it looks pretty smart on their
part

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sschueller
I think the licensing was already an issue for them and that is why they
switched to their own type of storage.

When I saw this a year ago I thought it was stupid just like Sony but I didn't
know that in order to use SD cards you need to pay licenses. I thought it was
on open standard.

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NotPaidToPost
Can we stop posting those FUD, rubbish articles?

How does not being a member of the SD association prevents companies from
using microSD cards?

From the SD Association's website:

> SD Association does not manufacture, market or sell any product; it creates
> standards and then promotes the adoption, advancement and use of SD
> standards used by competing product manufacturers that make interoperable
> memory cards and devices.

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clouddrover
Huawei now has licensing problems:

[https://www.sdcard.org/developers/licensing/index.html](https://www.sdcard.org/developers/licensing/index.html)

Here's an interesting bit from the SD Association License Agreement:

> _13.5 This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event that
> Licensee’s membership in the SD Association terminates or expires for any
> reason._

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NotPaidToPost
FUD in my view because this is about access to specs not use in end products.

The interesting issue here, though is why is the SD Association an American
entity althougn it was originally setup by Japanese firms? I think we're also
going to see a push by China to change the game in that area.

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ddingus
Are there not specific access modes that do require a license / royalty?

It is true anyone can use an SD card. But displaying the logo, as well as some
access protocols are controlled.

Things like 1 bit serial vs 4 bits, may mean "unofficial" = slow

For small scale, say custom embedded, small run stuff, nobody cares. But at
the smart phone level?

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NikkiA
Given that they already have those specs for the 'licensed' modes, it's
irrelevant, unless the SD assoc. is going to release a new version of the SD
standard specifically just to ensure huawei don't have the spec for it, and
then make all other SD licensees force using this upgrade; all to validate
trump's trade war.

Such a move would very likely backfire on the US.

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ddingus
It is not a technical restriction, but a legal one.

They are no longer licensed to use the more efficient comms. Those specs are
not hard to get.

They can, of course, use them, and can be hauled into court for doing so
without paying royalties.

Same for displaying the logo.

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NikkiA
If they're banned from doing business with american companies why would they
give a shit about the legality of their SD license?

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sixothree
And if SD Association releases new standard, possible fractures in adoption.

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ddingus
Could happen. Hope it does not.

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gumby
Standards organizations should not be dragged into political disputes.

(not to say they don't have enough politics of their own)

