Microsoft demanding patent royalties for B&N Nook, B&N thinks they should get Android for free

Microsoft has been doing it damndest to make sure OEMs know that the free Android OS is not free at all, and Barnes & Noble is complaining.

The company, who is currently being sued by Microsoft is complaining that Microsoft demanded royalties for 6 patents, which according to B&N Microsoft said was “sufficient to dominate and entirely preclude the use of the Android Operating System by the Nook”.

According to B&N Microsoft demanded royalties in excess of the rumoured cost of Windows Phone 7, especially for the Nook Color, a number B&N called “exorbitant”.

In a statement Microsoft said:

“Our lawsuits against Barnes & Noble, Foxconn and Inventec [the Nook’s manufacturers] are founded upon their actions, and the issue is their infringement of our intellectual property rights. In seeking to protect our intellectual property, we are doing what any other company in our situation would do.”

Android is of course not developed by B&N, but since Google, who developers it, does not stand behind the OS and exposes its OEMs to litigation risk, those same OEMs are finding that in the end they still end up paying for the supposed free software, even if only in legal fees.

Read more at GeekWire.com