ZTE Joins Long List of Android Device-Makers Licensing Microsoft Patents 112
An anonymous reader writes "In its continuing march toward locking up deals with every major Android and Chrome device maker, Microsoft announced on Tuesday a patent-licensing agreement with Chinese manufacturer ZTE. This follows a similar deal last week with the parent company of Foxconn. Microsoft's Deputy General Counsel Horacio Gutierrez said, 'Much of the current litigation in the so called 'smartphone patent wars' could be avoided if companies were willing to recognize the value of others’ creations in a way that is fair. At Microsoft, experience has taught us that respect for intellectual property rights is a two-way street, and we have always been prepared to respect the rights of others just as we seek respect for our rights. This is why we have paid others more than $4 billion over the last decade to secure intellectual property rights for the products we provide our customers.'"
If you can't innovate litigate! (Score:5, Insightful)
Rent seeking is the new innovation at Microsoft.
Someone needs to stand up to these folks. Let's see these patents tossed out.
What Microsoft told them... (Score:5, Insightful)
"Look, you can licence our patents, or we can sue you. It really doesn't matter if you're using our patents or not, well tie you up in court for YEARS. Your choice..."
Gotta be kidding me (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Against copyright and patents (Score:5, Insightful)
I could debate this but choose not to. I disagree that patents and copyrights are immoral, I think they have their place but the problem is that greed has twisted and perverted the original purpose of these systems. I do believe that software patents are wrong as copyright should be sufficient protection for software.
Re:If you can't innovate litigate! (Score:5, Insightful)
Rent seeking is the new innovation at Microsoft.
You're being too kind. It's protection money.