Microsoft scores biggest patent licensee yet: Foxconn

This was no dispute,... It was collusion,... Foxconn is and has been an MS partner for years,... even working with them several years ago to make the BIOS on certain motherboards report erroneous device table information if it was discovered that Linux was booting versus an MS OS. This is marketing, and at best,... well it would be inappropriate for me to use my next, preferred term, but suffice it to say it's like one back scratching another...

Quoting:Foxconn has agreed to take a license for any product it produces that runs Google's Android or Chrome operating systems.

What about devices that don't come with Android or Chrome? Anyone knows?

I wonder what Google's response is going to be. Buy a Foxconn competitor? :-)

Doesn't Foxconn also manufacture iCr@p?

Folks,... This "license" for Android (capable) devices is essentially a kickback or some kind of rebate on something else... For all we know, Foxconn was making the Surface (TM) tablets, and MS wanted a rebate on them because they were selling like garbage. And yes, Foxconn manufactures iOS devices too... Actually, Foxconn makes a lot of stuff for a lot of people... They're like the arms dealer who sells guns to both sides. MS just wanted a "discount." Foxconn felt obliged to play along... This is a Foxconn-job...

Are you saying it's a faux-agreement, JaseP? Or would that make the announcement a con? :)

Quoting:This "license" for Android (capable) devices is essentially a kickback or some kind of rebate on something else

Of course we don't believe everything we read on the Internet. And since none of all the agreements that MS claims to have signed with companies were disclosed, or released an iota of information about them, for all we know, they could be lying and just blowing smoke. But how do you know for sure that what you said is actually the case JaserP?

Are you on it with them? :-)

@ jdixon & Fettoosh:

Yes, I am saying the "agreement" is a con job... a sham,... and No, I don't work for/with either of them (and never have/will). If I'm wrong, so be it. If they want to sue me for defamation, ... let 'em. The truth is an absolute defense to libel & slander,... And I would LOVE to engage in discovery with them to prove I'm right,...

What does Foxconn really sell with Android on it, anyway? Not much I'd imagine. They don't generally make many finished products. They mostly sell to OEMs, and the OEMs decide what operating system to put on their devices. I think it's entirely misleading to claim that they're the "biggest patent licensee yet" when hardly anything they make gets Android put on it before it leaves their hands (afterwards is another story, but they don't have to license anything for that).

@ CFWhitman:

Now, you're getting it,... It's a big,... Nothing. Foxconn makes boards,... I can't think of a single thing that they make that leaves their factories in retail form, with their name in it, that runs Android. MS can call this anything they want to the media... This is smoke and mirrors meets shell-game,... It's a parlor trick for the media, for headline effect.

I am on a trip to the East Coast and I am adding to MS Windows 7 & IE . Very Sorry about that but I have to for now.

I don't hear much about the lawsuit between Google and MS, any one knows where it stands?

The arcticle links by henke54 claims that 80% of Android devices sold are made by companies that signed with MS, that is huge and aught to stop. Of course we don't know facts or the details, but still, it is huge publicity wise for MS. Google has to put a stop to all these shenanigans.

>I don't hear much about the lawsuit between Google and MS, any one knows where it stands?

Here is some blogpost from that German-paid-Oracle/M$-employee (Florian Müller/Mueller) : http://www.fosspatents.com/2013/04/google-keeps-losing-itc-f...

as i said ; PAID M$ EMPLOYEE :

Quoting:It should be noted that Mueller last year was commissioned by Microsoft for a patent study, which has prompted some grumblings from companies like Google about conflicts of interest.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399678,00.asp

http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/33670/

and here is that florian guy : http://www.blogger.com/profile/13298342449544124176

You know, I made some comments on the Ars Technica article, and I noticed something interesting. The last time I looked, one comment had received only up votes, while the other comments had all received several more down votes than up votes. I thought this was strange since clearly the comments were made from basically the same viewpoint.

Then it hit me: all the down voted comments specifically mentioned Microsoft. I don't suppose there's any possibility that someone has a search algorithm running for comments that looks for the term "Microsoft" so that someone can read them and up vote all those that are perceived as positive and down vote all those that are perceived as negative? Nah, that couldn't be.

Quoting: Then it hit me: all the down voted comments specifically mentioned Microsoft. I don't suppose there's any possibility that someone has a search algorithm running for comments that looks for the term "Microsoft" so that someone can read them and up vote all those that are perceived as positive and down vote all those that are perceived as negative? Nah, that couldn't be.

MS has very sophisticated viral marketing teams. Look at a major news article and the comments some time... You'll get people mentioning their latest MS gear with glowing praises,... case in point WinPhone8 handsets. If you go by the comments, you have 100% satisfaction of all 12 WinPhone8 owners...