Microsoft Corp. is suing leading book retailer Barnes and Noble Inc. (B&N), claiming that the U.S. bookseller’s electronic book reader, Nook, has breached various Microsoft-developed patents.
Nook, the reading gadget that runs on Google’s Android operating system, violates patents held by the Redmond, Wash.-based software developer, according to allegations made by Microsoft. The Nook has infringed on patent technologies, including those enabling smoother navigation of content by opening different tasks in separate windows.
Microsoft referred to this feature as “tabbing through screens.” In addition, the technology giant alleges that the Nook’s ability of selecting text as well as opening web pages as easily as it does also breaches several Microsoft patents.
The lawsuit was submitted with the U.S. District Court in Seattle, Wash., by Microsoft on Monday March 21.
“The Android platform infringes a number of Microsoft’s patents, and companies manufacturing and shipping Android devices must respect our intellectual property rights,” said Horacio Gutierrez, deputy general counsel of Microsoft’s intellectual property and licensing, in a statement. The software giant has also filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission.
B&N is not the only company targeted in this legal battle, with Taiwan-based electronics manufacturers Inventec Corp. and Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. also part of the lawsuit. The Asia-based manufacturers make similar devices that utilize supposed Microsoft-patented technologies.
“We have tried for over a year to reach licensing agreements with Barnes & Noble, Foxconn, and Inventec. Their refusals to take licenses leave us no choice but to bring legal action to defend our innovations,” said Gutierrez.
The Nook e-reader was aimed to gain market share from Amazon’s Kindle, and has sold well in recent months. It was B&N’s top seller during the 2010 holiday shopping season.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement, “Sweeping software-patent claims like Microsoft’s threaten innovation. While we are not a party to this lawsuit, we stand behind the Android platform and the partners who have helped us to develop it.”
Microsoft may also be targeting an Android-based device due to competitive reasons. Google’s Android smartphone operating system has dominated the global marketplace, far surpassing the number of units sold equipped with Microsoft’s Windows 7 Mobile operating system. Earlier this year, Android’s smartphones also outsold phones running Apple’s iOS and Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry software, according to technology research firm ComScore.
Google’s Android operating system is open-source and provided free-of-charge and customizable to the manufacturer.
Nook, the reading gadget that runs on Google’s Android operating system, violates patents held by the Redmond, Wash.-based software developer, according to allegations made by Microsoft. The Nook has infringed on patent technologies, including those enabling smoother navigation of content by opening different tasks in separate windows.
Microsoft referred to this feature as “tabbing through screens.” In addition, the technology giant alleges that the Nook’s ability of selecting text as well as opening web pages as easily as it does also breaches several Microsoft patents.
The lawsuit was submitted with the U.S. District Court in Seattle, Wash., by Microsoft on Monday March 21.
“The Android platform infringes a number of Microsoft’s patents, and companies manufacturing and shipping Android devices must respect our intellectual property rights,” said Horacio Gutierrez, deputy general counsel of Microsoft’s intellectual property and licensing, in a statement. The software giant has also filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission.
B&N is not the only company targeted in this legal battle, with Taiwan-based electronics manufacturers Inventec Corp. and Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. also part of the lawsuit. The Asia-based manufacturers make similar devices that utilize supposed Microsoft-patented technologies.
“We have tried for over a year to reach licensing agreements with Barnes & Noble, Foxconn, and Inventec. Their refusals to take licenses leave us no choice but to bring legal action to defend our innovations,” said Gutierrez.
The Nook e-reader was aimed to gain market share from Amazon’s Kindle, and has sold well in recent months. It was B&N’s top seller during the 2010 holiday shopping season.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement, “Sweeping software-patent claims like Microsoft’s threaten innovation. While we are not a party to this lawsuit, we stand behind the Android platform and the partners who have helped us to develop it.”
Microsoft may also be targeting an Android-based device due to competitive reasons. Google’s Android smartphone operating system has dominated the global marketplace, far surpassing the number of units sold equipped with Microsoft’s Windows 7 Mobile operating system. Earlier this year, Android’s smartphones also outsold phones running Apple’s iOS and Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry software, according to technology research firm ComScore.
Google’s Android operating system is open-source and provided free-of-charge and customizable to the manufacturer.
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