Microsoft this morning announced that it has signed a patent licensing agreement with Android device manufacturer LG, its eleventh deal of the kind.
Microsoft says effectively 70 percent of all Android smartphones sold in the United States today are covered under its patent portfolio, not mentioning the fact that they’re also suing Motorola Mobility and NOOK maker Barnes & Noble over their Android devices.
Continuing a tradition that we hope will stand the test of time, Microsoft’s head of communications, Frank Shaw, took to Twitter to taunt Google.
First, Shaw tweeted “Hey Google – we are the 70% #anotherandroidlicense” with a link to their press release, and later said:
Can we just agree to drop the patents-as-weapons meme? When effective licensing enables companies to share IP, the metaphor falls apart
— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) January 12, 2012
The second one is of course a bit disingenuous, since pretty much every player in this industry employs patents as weapons, will at some point, or wishes they were in a position to do so.
Shaw isn’t alone in his endeavor to try and get a response out of the Google camp, by the way.
Here’s Brad Smith, Microsoft’s EVP and General Counsel, tweeting:
It's time to recognize that in #patent world, lawsuits are the 1%; license agreements are the 99%. #anotherandroidlicense
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) January 12, 2012
And here’s Horacio E. Gutiérrez, Corporate VP and Deputy General Counsel, tweeting:
How should the smartphone industry resolve IP disputes in the software stack? Let’s try licensing
— Horacio Gutierrez (@horaciog) January 12, 2012
We love this stuff. We want more. Come on, Google, it’s your turn. Keep this going.
Update – no comment needed:
hey @robinwauters Google is responding like crazy on G+ i'm sure and it will show up in their search results shortly. http://t.co/ptGwGMPw
— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) January 12, 2012
