Microsoft has just trumped Google by winning an appeals court ruling over technology licensing rates.
That means that electronics manufacturers could now pay lower rates to license a number of technologies commonly featured in smartphones and computers.
The San Francisco appeals court upheld a $14.5 million jury verdict against Google.
The verdict was based on Microsoft’s claims that Google was unfairly demanding billions of dollars for the use of certain patents.
These patents covered a range of technologies relating to Wi-Fi and video downloads.
This means that companies like Apple, Intel, and HP now have ammunition – and a better chance – to lower the amount of money they pay to license the technology, as reported by Mercury News.
“This ruling is a win for consumers, competition, and innovation.” explains Charles Duan, a lawyer for consumer group Public Knowledge, which backed Microsoft in the case.
He adds: “It keeps prices reasonable for old products and allows new products to come to the marketplaces.”
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The jury decision specifically related to Google’s Motorola – now owned by Lenovo – breaching “its obligation to license the patents on fair and reasonable terms” explains the report.
If all this smartphone patent talk has made you want to buy a new handset, check out our group test video below:
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.