Barnes & Noble Urges U.S. to Probe Microsoft on Patents

Bloomberg: For Barnes & Noble, getting into the tablet PC business has also meant getting into the middle of the ongoing mobile patent firestorm. Microsoft has filed complaints with the International Trade Commission which allege that Barnes & Noble’s Nook tablet infringes on five patents. Barnes & Noble has responded with letters to the U.S. Justice Department claiming that Microsoft is using patent litigation in an attempt to create a monopoly for itself.

“Microsoft is embarking on a campaign of asserting trivial and outmoded patents against manufacturers of Android devices,” Barnes & Noble wrote in one letter. “Microsoft is attempting to raise its rivals’ costs in order to drive out competition and to deter innovation in mobile devices.” The Nook maker also urged the Justice Department to launch an investigation of Microsoft.