J
Jeff Causey
Guest
In response to a lawsuit filed by Microsoft against Samsung accusing the Korean electronics giant of delaying patent payments, Samsung indicates in a new filing that possible antitrust issues created by Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia violate the patent licensing agreement.
The agreement between Samsung and Microsoft was struck in 2011 and called for Samsung to make royalty payments to Microsoft to cover patented technology in Samsung’s Android-powered devices. As part of the agreement the companies also agreed to share confidential business information as part of an effort for Samsung to sell more Windows-powered devices.
Since then, Microsoft acquired Nokia and became a direct competitor to Samsung in the smartphone hardware space. According to Samsung’s filing, the “agreements, now between competitors, invite charges of collusion” from U.S. regulators.
Microsoft thinks their case is strong, probably in part because antitrust regulators around the world approved the Microsoft/Nokia deal. The claim by Samsung that the patent agreement now creates a collusion problem seems like an unusual position that Microsoft may not have anticipated.
source: Reuters
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