From Ars Technica: Microsoft to EC: Motorola hamstringing Xbox, PC with huge patent royalties


Microsoft today filed a competition law complaint against Motorola Mobility with the European Commission, claiming that the company—and, by extension, its soon-to-be-owner Google—is charging outrageously high licensing fees for patents essential to complying with industry standards.

In a blog post titled “Google, Please Don’t Kill Video on the Web,” Microsoft general counsel Dave Heiner said Motorola “is attempting to block sales of Windows PCs, our Xbox game console and other products” by charging unusually high fees for patents related to the H.264 video standard. On a $1,000 laptop, Motorola wants a royalty of $22.50, Microsoft claims. Microsoft said its complaint, which is not a publicly available document, is filed against both Motorola and Google.

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from Ars Technica

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