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:
