Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Microsoft demurs at Motorola patent settlement offer - Reuters

Microsoft demurs at Motorola patent settlement offer - Reuters

SEATTLE, June 20 | Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:05pm EDT

SEATTLE, June 20 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has brushed off an offer by Motorola, the phone maker bought by Google Inc, to settle patent disputes with Motorola that are threatening to halt imports of Android devices and Xbox game consoles into the United States.

The patents at issue relate to Microsoft technology called ActiveSync, which updates calendars automatically on some Android phones. Microsoft is demanding royalties from all companies using Google's Android system in their devices, and has settled with most major manufacturers except Motorola.

is demanding royalties on some of its own video and wireless technology used in Microsoft's Xbox game console and the Windows operating system.

"While we welcome any good faith settlement effort, it's hard to apply that label to a demand that Microsoft pay royalties to Google far in excess of market rates, that refuses to license all the Microsoft patents infringed by Motorola, and that is promptly leaked to the press," said Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's deputy general counsel, in an e-mailed statement.

According to Microsoft, Motorola has offered to pay Microsoft 33 cents for each Android phone using ActiveSync, and asked for a royalty of 2.25 percent on each Xbox and 50 cents per copy of Windows for using its patents.

Last month the International Trade Commission recommended an import ban on infringing Android devices and Xbox consoles unless the patent issues were settled.

Representatives of Motorola and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.



Motorola Mobility Brings the Longest Talk Time of any Smartphone (1) to Saudi Arabia with RAZR MAXX - TMCnet

(ENP Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ENP Newswire - 20 June 2012 Release date- 19062012 - RIYADH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - All day, every day - that's how much you use your smartphone.

With its impossibly thin and lightweight design, Motorola RAZR MAXX boasts features with the wow factor and a battery that can handle even the most demanding lifestyle. From today, customers across Saudi Arabia will be able to start talking, texting, typing, watching and more for even longer.

RAZR MAXX delivers up to 17.6-1 hours of talk time so you won't spend your day plugged into the wall. However its 1GB RAM combined with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and Android operating system will ensure you are always entertained, delivering a lightning-fast user interface and the power to multi-task like never before. You can rock your playlists while checking email, breeze through photos - all day, every day, all at the same time.

Still seriously thin at just 8.99mm, RAZR MAXX is the exact opposite of frail. It's made strong with KEVLAR fibre, while Corning Gorilla Glass defends the hyper-vibrant 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display from scratches and scrapes. And every part of the Motorola RAZR MAXX is protected by a splashguard coating, which even extends to the electrical boards inside, ensuring a go anywhere, do everything attitude.


Smart Actions, the remarkably intelligent application exclusive to Motorola Mobility, pushes the limits even further by automating everyday tasks based on triggers like time of day, location, battery levels and more. Never forget to put your phone on silent in meetings, turn up the volume when your boss calls and even maximize your last ounce of power by dimming the display and turning off power hungry services.

Motorola RAZR MAXX also comes preloaded with the Motorola MotoCast app-2, giving you the power to stream or download content from a home or work computer straight to the device so your docs, pics and music are always available - anytime, anywhere. No uploading to a third party means no wasted time or forgetting to upload that crucial presentation, and everything stays protected, right on your computer.

'RAZR MAXX isn't changing the rules - it's creating a whole new game. Building on the RAZR heritage it combines the pinnacle of design with mind-blowing power and an incredible battery life that is perfect for people who want to push their smartphone to the limits,' said Raed Hafez, managing director for Motorola Mobility, Middle East & Africa. 'Whether you want to watch hours of movies, or don't want to worry about charging between meetings, this latest smartphone from Motorola redefines boundaries and banishes the low battery beep to history.' Motorola smartphones offer some of the industry's most powerful enterprise features available, and Motorola RAZR MAXX is no exception, including government-grade encryption and productivity tools that rival the capabilities of desktop PCs. Collaborate in real time with GoToMeeting and create and edit files right on your phone with QuickOffice.

Availability Motorola RAZR MAXX is available from selected major retailers from SAR 2099. More information available on www.motorola.com/razrmaxx About Motorola Mobility Motorola Mobility, owned by Google, fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

About Motorola Mobility Motorola Mobility, owned by Google, fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas; additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. Contact your service provider for details. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation 1 Comparison based on manufacturers published talk times as of 29/02/12 for 3G smartphones with voice carried over a 3G network. RAZR MAXX talk time is up to 17.6hrs. Battery performance depends on network configuration, signal strength, operating temperature, features selected, and voice, data and other application usage patterns.

2 MOTOCAST supports many popular file formats and codecs. Additional software is necessary to enable use of unsupported files on your mobile phone. DRM-protected content is not supported. Respect the rights of copyright owners by only using MOTOCAST to stream and sync authorized content.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc. Corning and Gorilla are registered trademarks of Corning Incorporated. KEVLAR is a registered trademark of DuPont used under license by Motorola Mobility, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. 2012 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.

Media Contact Neil Jaques Wallis Marketing Consultants +971 (0) 4390 1950 Motorola@wallis-mc.com [Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk] ((Comments on this story may be sent to info@enpublishing.co.uk)) (c) 2012 Electronic News Publishing -

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Google’s Motorola Mobility Offers to End Microsoft Cases - Businessweek

Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG)’s Motorola Mobility unit said it made a new offer to settle its patent-infringement disputes with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) (MSFT) over the Xbox gaming system and smartphones. Microsoft questioned whether the offer was serious.

Motorola Mobility offered to pay 33 cents for every phone that uses Microsoft’s ActiveSync software to avoid an import ban by the U.S. International Trade Commission on phones that use the software, Kirk Dailey, vice president of intellectual property for Motorola Mobility, said in an interview yesterday.

The Google unit also lowered its demand for royalties on products that use Microsoft’s Windows operating system, to 50 cents for each unit that uses the industry standard for video compression. The company maintained its request for 2.25 percent of the cost of the Xbox gaming system, Dailey said. Microsoft could be banned from importing the Xbox if it loses an ITC case brought by Motorola Mobility.

“We’re hopeful they’re going to respond positively,” Dailey said. “We should have a response in two weeks.”

A settlement would end tit-for-tat cases the companies brought against each other. Microsoft, which contends all devices that run on Google’s Android operating system use its technology, sought royalties from Motorola Mobility. Libertyville, Illinois-based Motorola Mobility responded by demanding royalties on the Xbox for use of the company’s Wi-Fi and video-compression technology.

License Refusal

“While we welcome any good faith settlement effort, it’s hard to apply that label to a demand that Microsoft pay royalties to Google far in excess of market rates, that refuses to license all the Microsoft patents infringed by Motorola,” Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel for intellectual property, said in a statement.

Microsoft has asserted other patents in district court against Motorola Mobility that aren’t related to ActiveSync.

Motorola Mobility, which Google bought last month, is facing an order that it must remove the ActiveSync feature from its Android phones or the phones will be stopped at the border. The import ban is scheduled to go into effect July 17 unless it is overturned by President Barack Obama on public policy grounds.

The 33-cent offer on Android phones equals the amount of a bond that Motorola Mobility is obligated to post during the presidential review period, and is higher than what the company paid under a prior license for ActiveSync, Dailey said.

Standard Rate

Motorola Mobility had offered to license its own patents to Microsoft at a rate of 2.25 percent on the retail price of the products, which the company has said is its standard rate. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said in court filings that the figure would amount to $4 billion a year and filed a lawsuit accusing Motorola Mobility of violating its obligation to license patents related to industry standards on fair terms.

The $4 billion figure was based, in part, on a calculation that the 2.25 percent would apply to the cost of a computer that runs on Windows. Motorola Mobility challenged Microsoft’s calculation.

Dailey said the offer has been changed to 50 cents per unit so if Microsoft were to sell 300 million copies of Windows, that would equal $150 million.

Motorola Mobility also has made a licensing offer to Apple Inc. (AAPL) (AAPL) and the companies continue to be in discussions, he said.

“Both Microsoft and Apple need to show that they’re willing to be reasonable as well by respecting the contributions Motorola has made in literally creating the mobile phone industry,” Dailey said. “Injunctions are an extreme remedy, but not when you’ve been negotiating with someone for years with no movement, and who is actively seeking to destroy a competitor ecosystem.”

Judges’ Findings

Judges at the International Trade Commission have said that Microsoft and Apple infringe Motorola Mobility patents related to industry standards. The commission is scheduled to announce June 25 whether it will review those findings, and has set target dates in August to complete those investigations.

European regulators are investigating complaints brought by Microsoft and Apple that Motorola Mobility was misusing its patents as the companies battle for smartphone market share.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and leaders of the House Judiciary Committee submitted comments to the ITC saying that companies should be limited in their ability to win import bans using standard-essential patents.

“At a time when the FTC, prominent members of Congress and leading companies from across the industry are expressing concern about Google’s refusal to honor its obligations to standards bodies, this appears to be little more than an effort to change the subject,” Gutierrez said.

The Motorola Mobility case against Microsoft is In the Matter of Gaming and Entertainment Consoles, 337-752 and the Microsoft case against Motorola Mobility is In the Matter of Mobile Devices, Associated Software and Components Thereof, 337-744, both U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).

To contact the reporters on this story: Susan Decker in Washington at sdecker1@bloomberg.net;

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at bkohn2@bloomberg.net



Motorola Droid Razr Maxx Receives Android Update (Beta Version) - Int'l Business Times

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Australian users who are using Motorola Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx would need to wait a little longer in order for the update to officially roll out in the U.S. before receiving their own Android updates in Australia. Australian users should also wait for an official announcement from their mobile carriers regarding the specific schedule for their Android ICS update.

Though this update for Motorola smartphones are expected to push through all around the world, the specific date and availability would still be dependent on their respective mobile carriers.

The Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx are considered as the top smartphones from Motorola. The Droid Razr has a display size of 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen which has dimensions of 130.7 x 68.9 x 7.1 mm and weighs around 127 grams. It has a Dual-Core 1.2GHz processor with 16GB internal memory storage which can be upgraded through removable memory option of up to 32GB. As for the Droid Razr Maxx, it has a display size of 4.3-inch Super AMOLED which has dimensions of 130.7 x 68.9 x 8.99 mm and weighs around 145 grams. It also has a Dual-Core 1.2GHz with 16 GB internal; 16 GB microSD card pre-installed as well as removable storage option of up to 32GB (microSD).

Both the Motorola Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx are already available in the Australian market.

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