Doug Stephen on Tumblr

parislemon:

Hey Google – we are the 70% #anotherandroidlicensebit.ly/w32SIE

— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) January 12, 2012

1. Gotta love Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s head of corporate comm. (Unless you’re Google, of course.)

2. It’s actually over 70%.

3. Holy shit, over 70% of the Android phones sold in the U.S. are now contributing money to Microsoft’s pockets. Microsoft, not Google. 

4. Given the volume we’re talking about, Microsoft has to be making more from Android than from Windows Phone, right? 

LG is the newest member of Microsoft’s patent protection posse. The most notable hold out? Motorola, which, of course, is in the process of being acquired by Google. That’s one way to avoid the fee, I guess.

Steve Ballmer is getting a lot of love today (the press builds you up to knock you down to build you up again). Whether you think it’s evil or evil genius on Microsoft’s part to pursue these agreements, Ballmer was right: Android is not free, you have to pay Microsoft to use it.

I wonder if there’s a point where this stops making sense for certain OEMs? Certainly, it makes sense for Samsung, which is doing very well with Android and is likely happy to avoid anymore patent lawsuit headaches lingering over them. But what about the others not doing so hot? If they’re going to pay Microsoft, shouldn’t they at least get something out of it? Like say, a license for Windows Phone? These are the questions.

The other aspect that isn’t talked about a lot: Chrome OS. It’s another free Google OS that you pay Microsoft to use.

Well, siphoning all of the money out of Android and pumping it in to Windows Phone 7 is certainly one way to crush Google’s mobile arm.