Jump to content

Samsung paid Microsoft $1 billion in Android patent-licensing royalties in 2013

Gunzkewl

 

So we knew Microsoft's Android-patent-licensing business was big. But it's even bigger than many had estimated.

 
Thanks to a filing unsealed on October 3 in the Microsoft vs. Samsung U.S. District Court patent-royalty case filed in early August 2014, we now know that Samsung paid Microsoft $1 billion in 2013 for a single year's worth of patent-licensing royalties.
 
Samsung agreed in 2011 to pay Microsoft a then-undisclosed amount for licensing patents upon which Android allegedly infringed. That agreement was structured as a cross-licensing agreement.
 
According to the unsealed filing, Microsoft is contending that "(U)nder the License Agreement, Samsung agreed to make patent royalty payment to Microsoft for a period of seven fiscal years, in exchange for the right to use patented Microsoft technology in Samsung smartphones and tablets that use the Android operating system."
 
The filing says that Samsung failed to make its year-two royalty payment on time and to pay interest for not doing so. Samsung, for its part, claimed it shouldn't have to make good on the contract because Microsoft bought Nokia's devices and services business.

Microsoft said Samsung owed interest in excess of $6.9 million for its late Android-patent fee, which it still hadn't paid as of the date of the filing. That amount is calculated on the $1 billion that Samsung owed Microsoft in Android patent licensing royalties as of August 29, 2013, according to the unsealed documents.
 
Microsoft announced publicly its plans to acquire Nokia's devices and services business on September 3, 2013. Samsung is claiming that the Nokia acquisition would breach the patent license agreement. But, according to the unsealed court documents, Samsung did pay Microsoft its agreed-upon $1 billion patent royalty amount on November 29, 2013.

Link: http://www.zdnet.com/samsung-paid-microsoft-1-billion-in-android-patent-licensing-royalties-in-2013-7000034342/

Microsoft its making more from Android than Windows Phone OS...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yup, it's also one of their main revenue streams. They also make a very healthy sum from Google.

I thought this was common knowledge, but it wouldn't really surprise me if it's not.

 

It's estimated they could be making upwards of 9 billion a year from Android by 2017.

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900 Cooler: EVGA CLC280 Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Pro AX RAM: Kingston Hyper X 32GB 3200mhz

Storage: WD 750 SE 500GB, WD 730 SE 1TB GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 Ti PSU: Corsair SF750 Case: Streacom DA2

Monitor: LG 27GL83B Mouse: Razer Basilisk V2 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red Speakers: Mackie CR5BT

 

MiniPC - Sold for $100 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i3 4160 Cooler: Integrated Motherboard: Integrated

RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 16GB DDR3 Storage: Transcend MSA370 128GB GPU: Intel 4400 Graphics

PSU: Integrated Case: Shuttle XPC Slim

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

Budget Rig 1 - Sold For $750 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i5 7600k Cooler: CryOrig H7 Motherboard: MSI Z270 M5

RAM: Crucial LPX 16GB DDR4 Storage: Intel S3510 800GB GPU: Nvidia GTX 980

PSU: Corsair CX650M Case: EVGA DG73

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

OG Gaming Rig - Gone

Spoiler

 

CPU: Intel i5 4690k Cooler: Corsair H100i V2 Motherboard: MSI Z97i AC ITX

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR3 Storage: Kingston Fury 240GB GPU: Asus Strix GTX 970

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

Monitor: Dell P2214H x2 Mouse: Logitech MX Master Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yup, it's also one of their main revenue streams. They also make a very healthy sum from Google.

I thought this was common knowledge, but it wouldn't really surprise me if it's not.

 

It's estimated they could be making upwards of 9 billion a year from Android by 2017.

When will this patent license expire?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

When will this patent license expire?

I don't believe it does.

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900 Cooler: EVGA CLC280 Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Pro AX RAM: Kingston Hyper X 32GB 3200mhz

Storage: WD 750 SE 500GB, WD 730 SE 1TB GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 Ti PSU: Corsair SF750 Case: Streacom DA2

Monitor: LG 27GL83B Mouse: Razer Basilisk V2 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red Speakers: Mackie CR5BT

 

MiniPC - Sold for $100 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i3 4160 Cooler: Integrated Motherboard: Integrated

RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 16GB DDR3 Storage: Transcend MSA370 128GB GPU: Intel 4400 Graphics

PSU: Integrated Case: Shuttle XPC Slim

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

Budget Rig 1 - Sold For $750 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i5 7600k Cooler: CryOrig H7 Motherboard: MSI Z270 M5

RAM: Crucial LPX 16GB DDR4 Storage: Intel S3510 800GB GPU: Nvidia GTX 980

PSU: Corsair CX650M Case: EVGA DG73

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

OG Gaming Rig - Gone

Spoiler

 

CPU: Intel i5 4690k Cooler: Corsair H100i V2 Motherboard: MSI Z97i AC ITX

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR3 Storage: Kingston Fury 240GB GPU: Asus Strix GTX 970

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

Monitor: Dell P2214H x2 Mouse: Logitech MX Master Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Android is a orgy-fest

 

Google broke over 100 patents when developing Android.

 

Everyone gets paid off Android. Even Apple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

When will this patent license expire?

 

It won't. 

 

Google shielded itself from a lot of this, but even they have to pay some royalties. Its the OEMs that really got boned with the patents, and MS knows they have them by the balls forever. 

Sure, patents can be bad, and stocking up a war chest full of them can be counter productive to competition, but it doesn't stop it from being hilarious when one companies war chest collectively craps on several others at once AND earns a lot of money for it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

It won't. 

 

Google shielded itself from a lot of this, but even they have to pay some royalties. Its the OEMs that really got boned with the patents, and MS knows they have them by the balls forever. 

Sure, patents can be bad, and stocking up a war chest full of them can be counter productive to competition, but it doesn't stop it from being hilarious when one companies war chest collectively craps on several others at once AND earns a lot of money for it. 

I know but patents should expire and be free after XX amount of years.. Some patents are like essential for somethings to work..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

I know but patents should expire and be free after XX amount of years.. Some patents are like essential for somethings to work..

 

I agree, but thats the nature of the beast right now. 

 

Some patents will go kaput (like drug patents), some patents can be invalidated by the courts, but patents remain that required evil at times. 

 

I think every company realizes they are fairly broken, but no one wants to give up what they have. 

 

Especially the companies who are making bank off the system. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×