Barnes & Noble Mad at Microsoft
I don't know about you, but if I were to get sued for violating patents for technology I didn't even create, and asked to pay massive royalties, I might just get a little ticked off.
That's how Barnes & Noble reacted when Microsoft claimed the Android-based Nook e-reader and tablet trampled all over five of Redmond's hard-earned patents.
After being served by barristers, B&N lawyers spit back, claiming that Microsoft is using the courts to try and squash the competition, namely Google's Android. Adding fuel to B&N's fire is the allegation that Microsoft wants twice as much from Android vendors as it does from those that violate Win Phone 7 patents. "Microsoft is misusing these patents as part of a scheme to try to eliminate or marginalize the competition to its own Windows Phone 7 mobile device operating system posed by the open source Android operating system and other open source operating systems," B&N argues.
If you were president of the world, what would you do about software and technology patents? Send your official directive to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 04/29/2011 at 1:18 PM