Amid all the talk about Microsoft forking Android for a smartphone
OS, one suggestion involves a look back to Microsoft's DOS days.
Microsoft DOS was designed per IBM's specification to run exclusively on
IBM's PC hardware platforms. Phoenix Technologies employed software
developers it nicknamed 'virgins,' who hadn't been exposed to IBM's
systems, to create a software layer between Microsoft's DOS system and
PCs built by IBM's competitors. This helped Microsoft avoid infringing
on IBM's patents or copyrights, and subsequently helped fuel the
explosive growth of PC clones. Microsoft could use the same approach to 'clone' the proprietary Android components
in its own Android fork. This would prevent copyright infringement
while giving Microsoft access to Google Play apps, as well as Android's
massive base of developers.
