03.28.13
Gemini version available ♊︎Sony’s Patent Attacks on Android/Linux Expand
Summary: Sony Ericsson is striking a blow against an effort which brings Linux to many people in the world’s second-biggest population, namely India
Some months ago we saw Sony pulling a SCO. While pretending to be Android/Linux backer it sued other companies over the use of the platform. As if Sony ‘owns’ Android…
According to this report from India, Sony is mercilessly suing a small player for making Android phones/tablets more easily accessible to many in the country. To quote:
Ericsson, the world’s largest mobile network infrastructure player, has sued homegrown handset major Micromax for patent infringement, marking the arrival of bigticket technology patent litigation to Indian shores.
The Swedish network equipment maker has moved the Delhi High Court claiming about Rs 100 crore in damages, saying it was taking legal action after three years of negotiations failed to yield a licence agreement on ‘standards-essential’ patents.
This was highlighted by Pamela Jones, who wrote: “This is an Android case, of course, where the whole point of the group effort seems to be to make Android cost more. Remember SCO? That was the goal there too, to make Linux something you had to pay a lot for so others could compete against it more easily.”
Sony Ericsson phones — even if they run Android — are not worth buying when the company carries on along this path. Being some kind of SCO or a Oracle does nothing except ruin the brand. Oracle’s financial performance was exceptionally poor lately and its image in the eyes of FOSS enthusiasts, i.e. many systems administrators, was seriously tarnished. Both Sony and Oracle have been doing other things which are damaging to Linux.
Cisco’s strong brand is also being damaged right now due to a fraud patent case which it will pay $70 million for:
Cisco Systems Inc must pay $70 million in damages to patent licenser XpertUniverse Inc for fraudulently obtaining technology developed by the New York company, a jury found on Friday, according to court filings.
Patents are an ugly business. They’re not even a real business, they’re dirty business, an act of extortion which presumes people can ‘own’ ideas. █
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