"The smartphones going into the world's next two billion pairs of hands may not belong to either Google or Apple, but to Mozilla. The Mozilla Foundation, which oversees open source software projects like the Firefox Web browser, expects to release a mobile operating system for smartphones early next year. Its target market is Latin America, then the rest of the developing world, where smartphones from Apple and Google are still too expensive for most people." Let's hope so, because at the rate things are currently going, we'll end up with like 90% Android, 9% iOS, and 1% other stuff. Who wants that?
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Member since:2012-02-27
CyrilleBerger: I'm aware of those points, but my hypothetical argument still stands. I mean that hard core patent infringement covering all platforms would be harder for microsoft, and if it went insanely general (which is perfectly possible) it would bring it into conflict with apple.
I know that the alternative platforms are off the radar, including even bada, but they can't accuse android of infringing something and then ignore another platform doing the same thing.
On the other hand...
http://www.osnews.com/story/26322/Apple_vs_DRI_the_i_other_i_look-a...
The apple-microsoft agreement relates to design patents, ie soft not hard technology, and even then with a non-copying proviso which basically means that they have an agreement not to troll each other but can sue for genuine infringement.
The VFAT stuff is not such a big deal, for a start because the last of the android-relevant patents on that will have expired a year from now, and because these are just "tasters" that microsoft opens its negotiations (threats) with. They also threaten a very large number of relevant patents which may not be relevant but expensive to prove that. I can only remember microsoft using VFAT to sue TomTom, because they knew they would cave in, and more recently motorola, because they needed something that they stood a chance of succeeding with and they were prepared to use one of their expiring trumps.
Edited 2012-09-08 23:38 UTC
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Member since:
2006-02-01
Considering they have been hammering companies with the FAT patent that mostly concern the linux kernel, they won't have any problem to attack other platforms.
If they haven't done it so far, it is just because those platform are pennyless.
You can make some saving on the popcorn, Apple and MS have a cross-patents deal.