Announcing its latest patent agreement with an Android device maker, Microsoft over the weekend released a series of statistics and charts making the case that its Android licensing initiatives are succeeding, despite the fact that litigation gets more attention.
“While lawsuits may dominate many of the headlines, these are being overtaken by the number of license agreements being signed. At this point, the fast pace of licensing is reshaping the legal landscape for smartphone patents,” wrote Microsoft executives Brad Smith and Horacio Gutierrez in a blog post accompanying news of the latest licensing deal with Compal Electronics.
The company drew up the chart above to help make its point. Also notable: The company says it now “has license agreements in place with OEMs that account for 53 percent of all Android smartphones in the United States.”
That said, the chart also shows that some key legal battles remain to be resolved, and a loss for Microsoft, Apple or Oracle would be a setback for their broader campaigns.
Google’s chief legal officer, David Drummond, spoke out in August against what he called “a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents.”
In their post this weekend, the Microsoft execs had this to say …
“For those who continue to protest that the smartphone patent thicket is too difficult to navigate, it’s past time to wake up. As Microsoft has entered new markets from the enterprise to the Xbox, we’ve put together comprehensive licensing programs that address not only our own needs but the needs of our customers and partners as well. As our recent agreements clearly show, Android handset manufacturers are now doing the same thing. Ultimately, that’s a good path for everyone.”
Previously on GeekWire: Samsung to pay Microsoft for Android under new patent deal
