.jpg)
Microsoft and Dell have entered into a patent licensing agreement that will have Dell paying royalties to Microsoft for its sale of devices running Android and Chrome OS. Dell will also be licensing patents to Microsoft that are related to Xbox consoles, presumably lowering its royalty payments based on Microsoft's console sales.
Device makers protection from litigation related to Android and Chrome OS. While Microsoft boasts that more than 70 percent of Android phones sold in the US are covered by licensing agreements.
According to TheVerge, Microsoft has never listed what patents are infringed by Android.
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has now revealed a list of more than 300 patents and applications held by Microsoft that formed the Chinese approval of the Nokia deal.
The list includes 73 standard-essential patents, but there’s also 127 patents that Microsoft claims are implemented in Android.
All 14 patents used by Microsoft to file a lawsuit against Barnes & Noble are also included. It’s a significant list, and one that Microsoft will have wanted to avoid making public.
The software maker has faced criticism over its Android licensing practices, especially from Barnes & Noble who asked the Justice Department for an antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s attempts to "kill off" Android devices from smaller players with license fees and lawsuits.
