Phillip--
The specifics of this Microsoft payment seem to be very much under wraps. I have no idea when it kicks in or how much money is really involved, but I do know that this deal is above and beyond the $150 million stock purchase, and almost all people who have commented on it seem to think that the amount of the payment is at least equivalent to that of the stock deal, and probably more. I remember one source rumored to have said that it amounts to "tens of millions per quarter over the next few years", which is the most specific "rumor" that I remember, but keep in mind that these are all just rumors and may have absolutely no basis in fact.
According to some of the Mac rumor sites, this seems to have been settled when Apple found that Microsoft had transferred much of Apple's Quicktime code to its Direct X project. Supposedly, Apple received some documentation on this, and brought it to the attention of Microsoft. This also supposedly led to the 5 year agreement announced at that MacWorld Expo (last August) that Apple can use Microsoft patents and Microsoft can use Apple patents without threat of lawsuit.
In the final analysis, the only thing that seems sure is that the payment agreement does exist, and that it was/is being kept very hushed.
Sorry I can't be of more help. But this is a fact of the Microsoft/Apple agreement that most news sites glossed over or don't even know about. Apple may have had a lot more say in that agreement than most people think.
Paul Arthur |
