Summary: A lesson about Microsoft deals, this time courtesy of Barnes and Noble, the hero which turned into zero after a manipulative Microsoft bribe

Barnes and Noble (B & N) provided a fascinating example which reminded us of Novell. Back in the days Novell took Microsoft to court, but many years later, as Novell had more things to sue over (e.g. Samba, not just WordPerfect) Microsoft passed a large bribe to Novell and said goodbye to litigation, undermining Samba's case in Europe. Similarly, Microsoft basically bribed B & N to drop the legal case that was challenging extortion of Android. Barnes & Noble is now in trouble. Like, who didn't see that coming? See some of the details in [1]. Making Windows pledges is a very bad strategy these days.

For some background and context see our posts as follows (chronological):

• Federal Agents Should Prosecute Microsoft for Market Abuses With Patents Following Extortiongate
• As Microsoft Extortion Continues, Submission Filed to the Department of Justice for Patent Abuse
• Potentially the Beginning of the End of Microsoft's Patent Extortion
• Bribing Companies That Expose Microsoft Extortion, Preventing Them From Showing What It Really is That Microsoft Does (RICO Act Violation)
• Microsoft Deal Kills Barnes & Noble

So, just as a recap, Microsoft extorts B & N, B & N takes Microsoft to court, B & N nearly ends Microsoft's patent shakedown against Linux/Android, and then Microsoft pays a lot of money to B & N, the case gets dropped, B & N is pushed into using Windows and then has financial problems. Classic Microsoft routine! ⬆

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. Barnes & Noble's Nook freed from Windows, WinPhone apps pledge

   Redmond pumped $300m into Nook back in 2012, in a deal that gave it a 17.5 per cent stake in B&N's underperforming e-book subsidiary. In exchange, Nook agreed to develop a branded reader app for Windows 8 – which it did – and another for Windows Phone, although the latter has yet to appear.