Microsoft's Steve Ballmer Says Android Isn't Free

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back_by_demand

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Interesting, Android has some MS patents in it, so if you use it on a mobile phone you have to enter a license agreement with MS.

So HTC knew this and signed the agreement without any fuss and Motorola didn't?

Seems pretty clear cut to me.
 
MS is using such patents as an incentive to "go with us and not them." The reason MS doesnt outright try to challenge google is... they probably have the same amount of lawyers... it would be ugly and drawn out.

How hilarious would it be when the win7-phone comes out....if google has a patent or two to stick up MS's ...
 
Rather than going after Google, Microsoft is targeting specific phone makers for the licensing fee.
Google is not selling the Android OS, so Micro$oft cannot go after them for ca$h.
We have heard that tune many times from Microsoft (especially if you follow Linux distros).
Microsoft have some many dubious patents, that even to send and receive emails with mobile phone you have to pay Microsoft license fees.



 

hoofhearted

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I was actually looking forward to the Windows phone because of its gaming factor. Well, this changes that. To me this seems like a form of extortion. Now if Microsoft truly "creates" something of their own merit, then I say they deserve the market, but I see this as Microsoft "destroying" something that they fear as competition and I hope they burn for it.
 
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I have always said Open source is just a advantage for hardware companies to make more profit. They abuse the Open Source ideal. I don't like the Apple ideal either of keeping everything in control . Who wants to be married to one company? But that's what you get with Android too. No matter if you use RIM, Apple, Android or Microsoft phones. You end up in a ecosystem of their own applications. It just depends on what fits you.
 

ares1214

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Dont worry, Apple will soon sue MS for using metal that melts, claiming MS was using liquid metal, MS will sue Apple for having an OS, Apple sues Google for having a better OS, then Microsoft sues Google for being cheaper, then Google sues Microsoft for having Bing, then Bing Sues Yahoo for its nonsense, then Google sues Microsoft for sueing them, and Apple sues everybody for breathing air, which they just put a patent on. These suits and patents are nonsense and are completely destroying things...
 
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*yawn* Windows7 mobile will die off like Courier and Kin. There's nothing new with Windows7 mobile that the existing mobile OS already has. MS is late in catching the train and it's disappearing over the horizon. Ballmer will be gone next year as well. Too man failed projects.
 

aaron88_7

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In other words Ballmer is so desperate to keep his job after destroying the largest tech company in the world that he is going to try to sue his way back into profitability. Good luck with that one.

Why is this fat idiot still running Microsoft? Don't Microsoft shareholders pay attention to how this guy has been running this company into the ground?
 
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It's not free because MS has resumed its "if you can't win sue" strategy. I guess WM7 really sucks if this is their mobile strategy
 

back_by_demand

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[citation][nom]aaron88_7[/nom]In other words Ballmer is so desperate to keep his job after destroying the largest tech company in the world that he is going to try to sue his way back into profitability. Good luck with that one.Why is this fat idiot still running Microsoft? Don't Microsoft shareholders pay attention to how this guy has been running this company into the ground?[/citation]
Yeah, run right into the ground
Microsoft stock is now trading alongside junk bonds
...
WTF have you been smoking?
 

Aussie_Bear

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This is the same strategy that Ballmer has used against commercial Linux providers...And it has worked; as they settle with Microsoft! MS is making money via the screwed-up US Patent system.

(1) Microsoft cannot compete with free. Their fundamental business model is selling software licenses. It is their primary cash-cow! They are willing to use ANY means to gain leverage over competitors; preferably one that makes THEM money.

(2) Linux is free (liberty and most often, beer); but the license its under does not protect it from a flawed patent system.

There is no protection for you, if you happen to accidentally trample on someone's patent. The best you can do is NOT settle; but to ask for what specific patent you have infringed, so you can code around it. (That is legal, as you have a right to know. And you don't have to pay a dime in settlement)...If you had money and time to go through the legal system; the accusing party must prove the patent is legit. If they can't...It'll be invalidated.

(3) Knowing this weakness, Microsoft will "extort" anyone who uses Linux in a commercial setting.

The patents don't have to be legitimately court tested; just the fear of patent infringement is enough! (Some real ones can be used if the other side has a known competent legal team.)

That is, go after folks who sell a Linux-based commercial product like a smartphone (as in the case of Android) OR as a software package (such as Novell, etc)...Interestingly, Red Hat and Canonical told MS to "get lost"; as they recognize this is nothing more than an empty patent threat.

The point of extorting commercial solutions based on Linux with patent threats is to devalue the key characteristic of Linux: Being that its free. This is the focus of Ballmer's strategy.

Such threats also show Microsoft is nothing more than you modern day software mafia...

=> "Say...That's a nice solution. Android, is it? You should be careful with that. Why? Well, these days, Software Patents can be a problem if you use Android. On the other hand, if you sign up with us...You'll be protected from litigation. Why not play it safe, eh? We have Windows Phone 7 coming up, why not sign up to our product?"

As for Ballmer's HTC comment...HTC had no choice because they use both MS and Linux-based products. They were caught in a two-way tag team. Microsoft and Apple were going to sue them. So they settle with MS, such that they can focus on Apple. See the following...
=> http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/apple-vs-htc-a-proxy-fight-over-android-could-last-years.ars
=> http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/04/htc-avoids-two-front-patent-war-with-microsoft-pact.ars

The only way to crap on Ballmer's parade is to intentionally create solutions that de-value Microsoft's key/core cash-cows via open source.

But instead of selling software licenses like they do, you sell support contracts and keep your solution completely open source and under GPLv3. (They won't touch you, because they don't like version 3 of the GPL.)

I guess in today's software industry, it goes like this:
=> Those who can; do.
=> Those who can't; sue.

...Thanks to the screwed-up US Patent system.
 
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So let me get this straight: Steve Balmer who promised the previous mobile phone incarnation KiN, and previous promises of fabulous Microsoft-based tablet PCs with partners such as HP, is now promising an entirely NEW tablet design "ready for the holiday (2010) season" ...??? Well - let's just see about that. Balmer's balsy comments should be held accountable by Microsoft's shareholders and ridiculed by the tech and computing community if no such product(s) come to fruition. This guy is a classic snake oil salesman - what a loud mouthed goof. If only Bill Gates minimized his time jumping on planes and traveling the world in support of his charities, maybe he would have a chance to realize that the castle he built is being thrown into disarray. What a joke.
 

Pyroflea

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What a bunch of thieves. With all this meticulous planning on how they can screw over other companies, you think they'd be able to have some decent products themselves. Shame on your M$.
 

jellico

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[citation][nom]aaron88_7[/nom]In other words Ballmer is so desperate to keep his job after destroying the largest tech company in the world that he is going to try to sue his way back into profitability. Good luck with that one.Why is this fat idiot still running Microsoft? Don't Microsoft shareholders pay attention to how this guy has been running this company into the ground?[/citation]
I am completely opposed to this tactic by Ballmer. That being said, to call him an idiot is a demonstration of ignorance. Steve Ballmer knew Bill Gates and Paul Allen from when they were all at Harvard together. Bill and Paul left to start Microsoft, whereas Ballmer stayed and finished his disgree in Mathematics and Economics. He was brought on a couple of years later as a business manager (he was something like the 24th employee hired by Bill). In the year that Microsoft was incorportated, Steve Ballmer was give an 8% share in the company. Since then he has headed several divisions (including OS development) and, in 2000, became the CEO. Suffice it to say that he has been contributed significantly to the success of Microsoft, and if he ever decided to leave, companies all over the world would be throwing bags of money at him to entire him to be their CEO.
 

jasone

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can anyone say... RAMBUS?
Sounds like Microsoft is resorting to these same tactics, of fine, if you make something better and cheaper, we will sue you and collect fees.
 
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