Microsoft's Hottest New Profit Center: Android 276
jbrodkin writes "One of Microsoft's hottest new profit centers is a smartphone platform you've definitely heard of: Android. Google's Linux-based mobile operating system is a favorite target for Microsoft's patent attorneys, who are suing numerous Android vendors and just today announced that another manufacturer has agreed to write checks to Microsoft every time it ships an Android device. Vendors paying off Microsoft for the right to use Android now include HTC, Velocity Micro, General Dynamics, Onkyo Corp. and Wistron. Microsoft likely makes more money from Android than its own Windows phone platform, and its latest patent agreement announced Tuesday indicates Microsoft is also going after Google's Linux-based Chromebooks."
Re:When Is A Company.... (Score:5, Interesting)
http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/27/barnes-noble-microsoft-patented-nook-features-trivial-licensing-fees-exorbitant/ [crunchgear.com]
Re:The legal and patent system are broken. (Score:4, Interesting)
Isn't that the whole point of having a patent system at all? So that your competitors can't just steal your ideas and undersell you to drive you out of business?
Re:Back to their roots (Score:2, Interesting)
They never really were a tech company, IMO. Their innovations: EULA and software licensing. Most of their products were bought, copied stolen.
Just like Google...