So much for Google's new patent power.

A key reason for the search giant's $12.5 billion deal for Motorola Mobility was to get hold of the latter's huge intellectual-property portfolio. The idea was to protect mobile-device makers using Google's Android mobile operating system from the likes of Microsoft, Apple, Oracle and others claiming that Android violates their intellectual property.

But it didn't stop Samsung from striking a deal Wednesday to pay royalties on its Android devices to Microsoft. That appears to resolvepatent claims Microsoft has against Samsung's Android devices.

That is bad news for Google's mobile strategy as it means Android is no longer free. Google gives away the operating system to device makers because it wants the widest possible distribution. With 48% market share, Android took the top spot among smartphone operating systems globally in the second quarter, estimates Strategy Analytics. The hope is that will drive more mobile searches and give Google an advantage in delivering future mobile services.

But now that the top two Android device makers, Samsung and HTC, are paying royalties to Microsoft, it becomes harder for others to get away without paying -- and potentially easier for Apple and others to extract their own pound of flesh. In addition, it narrows the effective price gap with operating systems like Microsoft's Windows Phone.

Android partners likely want to diversify their device portfolios anyway. With Motorola Mobility in hand, Google becomes a rival device maker. Samsung will throw more resources behind developing Windows models, argues Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics.

Ultimately, handset makers will sell the devices consumers want to buy, and Android along with Apple's iOS are likely to remain the dominant mobile operating systems powering them.

But Microsoft has given Windows an opening.

Rolfe Winkler

• patent [´peitənt, ´pæ-] a.专利的 n.专利品 (初中英语单词)
• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
• striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)
• wednesday [´wenzdi] n.星期三 (初中英语单词)
• resolve [ri´zɔlv] v.决心 n.决心；刚毅 (初中英语单词)
• device [di´vais] n.装置；器具；策略 (初中英语单词)
• distribution [,distri´bju:ʃən] n.分配；分布(状态) (初中英语单词)
• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)
• addition [ə´diʃən] n.加；加法；附加物 (初中英语单词)
• effective [i´fektiv] a.有效的；有力的 (初中英语单词)
• billion [´biljən] num.万亿 (高中英语单词)
• oracle [´ɔrəkl] n.预言(者)；圣理名言 (高中英语单词)
• intellectual [,inti´lektʃuəl] n.知识分子 (高中英语单词)
• extract [ik´strækt, ´ekstrækt] vt.取出；摘录 n.精华 (高中英语单词)
• dominant [´dɔminənt] a.统治的；占优势的 (英语四级单词)
• strategy [´strætidʒi] n.兵法；战略 (英语六级单词)