Monday, March 9, 2015

Microsoft Sues Kyocera Over Patents

Bellevue-based Microsoft has filed suit against Kyocera, alleging patent infringement by Kyocera on its Android phones. Microsoft filed the suit, Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC v. Kyocera Corporation et al. Friday in the Washington Western District Court, asking for an injunction prohibiting Kyocera from selling what it says were three phones which it say violate Microsoft patents. Those patents are the same ones being used by Microsoft to extract licensing fees from other, Android smartphone manufacturers. Microsoft asserts that Android--developed by Google--relies on a number of patents held by Microsoft, and rather than going after Google or Android itself, has been pursuing a variety of hardware manufacturers for license fees for their use of the competing operating system.