Even Microsoft thinks patent lawsuits are silly

Microsoft has always appears to be against patent lawsuits and attempting to get injunctions against competitors’ products. So much so, earlier this year we learnt that Microsoft turns over more revenue from patent licencing fees from the likes of Samsung and HTC than it gets from its own Windows Phone 7 platform.

The personal computing giant is publicly supporting the invention of industry standards and says it will not seek injunctions against a company that infringes on essential patents.

“Industry standards are vitally important to the development of the Internet and to interoperability among mobile devices and other computers. The international standards system works well because firms that contribute to standards promise to make their essential patents available to others on fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms. Consumers and the entire industry will suffer if, in disregard of this promise, firms seek to block others from shipping products on the basis of such standard essential patents.”

In reference to the above quote Microsoft made three core promises, these are:

• They will make their standard essential patents to all firms “on fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory terms.”
• Microsoft will license these patents regardless of whether the other party licences their patents back to Microsoft or not.
• Microsoft vows that they will not seek injunctions against firms or products that use said patents.

If you want a more detailed and lengthy explanation be sure to read this Microsoft blog post.

Kitguru says: A very smart move by Microsoft, unfortunately Apple is unlikely to take up this view anytime soon.

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