In recent Interview with The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says that there are licensing fees for Android.
WSJ: Are you trying to protect Windows or do you see Windows Phone 7 as a big revenue opportunity in and of itself?
Mr. Ballmer: No, I see it as a big opportunity. There’s the sale of the device, there’s potential for search revenue on top of that and commerce revenue. There’s potential for subscription revenue from various entertainment or productivity experiences.
Job One here will be selling a lot of phones, and if we sell a lot of phones, good things are going to happen.
WSJ: You’re still charging a license fee for the software.
Mr. Ballmer: Sure.
WSJ: Is that difficult in an environment where Android is free?
Mr. Ballmer: Android has a patent fee. It’s not like Android’s free. You do have to license patents. HTC’s signed a license with us and you’re going to see license fees clearly for Android as well as for Windows.
Since Google is not charging any licensing fees, then who is?
Well, Microsoft is currently going after Motorola for making Android phones. Motorola currently does not making any phones based on Windows Phone 7 platform.
Microsoft had signed “Patent deal” with HTC over Android. Some pundits “cheered” this move as a way for HTC to fend off Apple on the ongoing lawsuit.
Microsoft is poised to regain the “Evil Company” title with this move if only if the consumer cares about the issue. Unfortunately some influential Tech-Elitists are not saying anything much about Microsoft asserting “ownership” over Android and Linux.