LG agrees to licensing fee with Microsoft for every Android device sold
LG, maker of the Optimus 2X and Optimus 3D, has agreed to a licensing fee with Microsoft for every Android device sold by the Korean company. Other Android manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, and Acer have agreed to similar deals with the software giant.
Unfortunately, the details of the deal are pretty sketchy for now. We’re not sure how much LG will be paying Microsoft or if it applies to all Android devices sold across the globe. Regardless, it seems Microsoft will be making money off of more than 70% of Android devices sold in the US. Android is the dominant mobile platform in the US.
Microsoft announced, “Together with our 10 previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than 70 per cent of all Android smartphones sold in the US are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio.”
So what’s the difference between Microsoft and Apple when it comes to patents? Apple wages legal battles left and right against its rivals to try and ban Android products. An example is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, which Samsung overturned. Microsoft, on the other hand, offers licensing deals instead of suing the competition.
