Andre Yoskowitz
12 Jan 2012 20:36
Microsoft continues to force Android makers to pay up, and the company is now bragging that it owns 70 percent of the Android market.
Thanks to a rock solid patent portfolio, Microsoft has spent the last two years negotiating licensing deals with Android and Chrome OS makers, forcing them to pay Microsoft a piece every time a device sells. Like with other deals, the terms were not disclosed.
Says Microsoft: "We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Together with our ten previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than seventy percent of all Android smartphones sold in the U.S. are now receiving coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio. We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS."
To make the move even more smug, prominent Microsoft execs began gloating on Twitter after the deal was announced (via Verge):