Microsoft to Moto: We'll give you $1m a year for your patents
Googorola to Microsoft: How about $100m instead?
Steps to Take Before Choosing a Business Continuity Partner
Microsoft and Googorola are having a slight difference of opinion when it comes to how much Redmond should pay for Motorola Mobility's video and Wi-Fi patents.
Microsoft reckons that no more than $502,000 a year is fair for Moto's H.264 video patent - which is used in Xboxes and other MS gear - and $736,000 a year is a fair price for Wi-Fi. But Motorola is thinking more along the lines of $100m to $125m for the H.264 patent portfolio alone, according to redacted post-trial filings from both companies.
Judge James Robart is expected to rule on the case next year, after hearing the firms argue in November over Google-owned Motorola's standards essential patents (SEPs).
Motorola is sticking to its request for 2.25 per cent of the selling price of infringing MS products, which it has generously offered to cap at between $100m and $125m for a video cross-licensing deal. For Wi-Fi patents, Moto is looking for 1.15 per cent to 1.73 per cent of Microsoft gear's prices, millons more dollars every year.
Standards-essential patents have not become heavy-hitters in court, mostly because SEP owners are obliged to license them on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. But while Apple sues for design and technology patents, in many cases mobe-makers like Nokia, Motorola and Samsung only have their SEPs to try to throw back at them. ®
COMMENTS
Re: Microsoft the Patent troll @ joseph lord
I'm not sure you understand the MS strategy..
MS have been hawking around some very flimsy patents to frighten off or extort people using Linux asking stupid fees and actually were caught out using prior art:
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/03/ms-patent/
If MS want to use patents as a barrier to entry or deliberately stifle competition then quite frankly they deserve all they get. The same applies to Apple for their ludicrous patents. Hopefully the system will get so bogged down and become unworkable as to require a complete overhaul.
The only people who lose, no matter who wins in court, are us mug punters to have to pay these ridiculous fees in the form of higher prices.
"Don't make it a standard if you want to charge whatever you want."
Someone should have told Microsoft that, some 30 years ago.
Sure, just like these parasites extort $5 per handset from the Android manufacturers.
Well, their balance sheet for 2012 has to show *some* revenue from mobile, after all.
IT infrastructure monitoring strategies
Requirements Checklist for Choosing a Cloud Backup and Recovery Service Provider
Cloud based data management
Enabling efficient data center monitoring
Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
