Barnes & Noble has done the world a tremendous favor, by pulling aside the curtain and revealing Microsoft’s patent campaign tactics against Android in lurid detail. Gee, if they could just make some thing revolutionary, they might not have to sue everyone to compete.

It reveals the assertion of “trivial” and “invalid” patents against Barnes & Noble and some shocking details about an “oppressive” license agreement that would have controlled hardware and software design features that Microsoft presented, thus limiting to what degree Barnes & Noble could offer upgrades and improved features to its customers if it had signed it, features it says none of Microsoft’s patents cover. Microsoft worked so hard to keep it all secret, and I think you’ll see why. It’s ugly behind that curtain.

We saw the letter to the ITC from Barnes & Noble, and the slide presentation to the US Department of Justice, attached as Exhibit C to the letter to the ITC, and both have been covered widely in the media. But now I’ll show you the other exhibits, Exhibits A, B, D, E and F, so you can get the full picture of what Barnes & Noble is accusing Microsoft of doing. Take a look especially at Exhibit D, where there is a long detailing of the incredibly insignificant patents Microsoft has the nerve to use against Android, claiming control of the entire operating system with what is pretty much a handful of stupid patents no one really needs or which are so trivial that the fees it claims become outrageous. At least that is Barnes & Noble’s position. It made my blood boil to read it. As always, if you shouldn’t look at patents, don’t click to read the rest of the article.