Barnes & Noble asks U.S. regulators to probe whether Microsoft is using patent royalties in an attempt to monopolize the mobile-device market
Allison Oesterle
LOS ANGELES, California
,
November 9, 2011
(Industry Intelligence)
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In response to Microsoft Corp.’s attempt to block the import of the Nook eReader, Barnes & Noble Inc has urged U.S. regulators to examine whether Microsoft is attempting to use patent royalties in order to monopolize the mobile-device market, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 8.
According to the article, Barnes & Nobel alleges that Microsoft’s attempt to demand patent royalties on products using Google Inc’s Android operating system constitute an attempt to force their competitors to raise their prices, thus making them less competitive against Microsoft.
Microsoft has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington against Barnes & Noble alleging that Barnes & Noble has violated five of Microsoft’s patents. Microsoft seeks to ban the import of Barnes & Noble’s Nook eReader. A trial is scheduled to begin in February.
The primary source of this article is Bloomberg, New York, New York, on Nov. 8, 2011.
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