
Microsoft files lawsuit against Samsung - IBM
http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2014/08/01/microsofts-samsung-action/
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higherpurpose
I've been waiting for this to happen. Why? Because Samsung will fight this,
and there's a 90 percent chance Microsoft will _lose_ , just like they nearly
lost with Barnes and Noble. But unlike B&N, Samsung won't back down this time
with a settlement.

So this is actually great news for the Android ecosystem. Some of Microsoft's
main asserted patents will finally be invalidated. It also doesn't help that
all of their 300 asserted patents have now been exposed by the Chinese
government, and Google and OEMs can circumvent them in future Android versions
(governments should've never allowed them to keep the licensing deals secret
in the first place, as it creates an anti-competitive environment and defeats
the purpose of patents), obliterating most of Microsoft's Android
licensing/extortion business.

This lawsuit also comes at a perfect time after the recent Supreme Court
ruling.

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tdicola
It's so weird to read this and see Microsoft touting the success of Android
like, "Consider this: when Samsung entered into the agreement in 2011, it
shipped 82 million Android smartphones. Just three years later, it shipped 314
million Android smartphones ... becoming the leading player in the worldwide
smartphone market" I'm sure the marketing folks at MS are wincing when they
read that.

I wonder what is Samsung's reasoning for breaking the agreement? Was there
some kind of clause that MS wouldn't build Android devices to directly
compete, and with the Nokia purchase the plans for a Nokia Android device
(that were just swiftly stopped after the acquisition was finalized) might
have given Samsung an out?

