Google lashes out at Apple and Microsoft

[Aikouka]

I was reading an article last night on Google's Doodles, and I found it amusing that Google patented the concept of changing artwork in their logo.

Patent Link

So... does that mean putting some garland around your website's logo at Christmas time is infringing upon the patent?

 

[mosco]

Account suspended.

Try http://fireballed.org/linked/2011/08/04/google/

 

[xXFaNtAsMaXx]

I don't understand why patents are purchasable in the first place. I think that the original patent holder should hold it until they die or become incompetent, then either they give it to someone in their will, or the owner of the company that the patents were made for gets to hold them. Selling them only creates artificial wars over who has the rights to use what.

The rights to patents should only be able to be licensed, not sold completely.

 

[Pliablemoose]

BGR has a copy of the email turning down MS posted.

Maybe Google planned to run up the price, drop out, then file a complaint charging a collusion/conspiracy.

 

[finbarqs]

lol...

 

[poofyhairguy]

Google's Android empire is burning and no one is running to put out the flames.

 

[zerocool84]

Google's Android empire is burning and no one is running to put out the flames.

How is it burning? It's bigger than ever and even the Oracle litigation is still ongoing.

 

[sciwizam]

Google updated it's post after Microsoft's response: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/when-patents-attack-android.html

It's not surprising that Microsoft would want to divert attention by pushing a false "gotcha!" while failing to address the substance of the issues we raised. If you think about it, it's obvious why we turned down Microsoft’s offer. Microsoft's objective has been to keep from Google and Android device-makers any patents that might be used to defend against their attacks. A joint acquisition of the Novell patents that gave all parties a license would have eliminated any protection these patents could offer to Android against attacks from Microsoft and its bidding partners. Making sure that we would be unable to assert these patents to defend Android — and having us pay for the privilege — must have seemed like an ingenious strategy to them. We didn't fall for it.

Ultimately, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened, forcing Microsoft to sell the patents it bought and demanding that the winning group (Microsoft, Oracle, Apple, EMC) give a license to the open-source community, changes the DoJ said were “necessary to protect competition and innovation in the open source software community.” This only reaffirms our point: Our competitors are waging a patent war on Android and working together to keep us from getting patents that would help balance the scales.

 

[finbarqs]

Micro$oft vs. G(o)(o)gle

Round 1

Fight!

Hadoooo-novell-patents-ken!
Sho-me-the-opensource-license-ken!

 

[poofyhairguy]

How is it burning? It's bigger than ever and even the Oracle litigation is still ongoing.

The fact that almost every major Android device maker (even B&N) is being sued because of the platform is the fire. RIM was once "bigger than ever" in the smartphone market and now they are an also-ran. If MS and Apple can use lawsuits to increase the total cost of Android, it will get dumped just as fast as it was adopted.

 

[akugami]

Google updated it's post after Microsoft's response: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/when-patents-attack-android.html

Ok. Fine, that's actually a logical response and I've seen this given as the reason Google opted not to form an alliance to bid on certain patents with MS. But that still doesn't prove MS and Apple is leading a concerted effort to crush Google. Furthermore, Google doesn't explain why it didn't form an alliance with the likes of HTC, Motorola, Samsung, etc. to buy those patents? This would be an Android alliance formed to protect Android. Or does that make too much sense?

 

[smartpatrol]

Furthermore, Google doesn't explain why it didn't form an alliance with the likes of HTC, Motorola, Samsung, etc. to buy those patents? This would be an Android alliance formed to protect Android. Or does that make too much sense?

This is just my speculation, but I doubt the Android handset makers have that much interest in bidding insane money for these patents. It's probably cheaper to just pay a licensing fee.

http://www.bgr.com/2011/07/29/apple...66-of-q2-smartphone-profit-among-top-vendors/
LG, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson are all losing money with their smartphone divisions. Samsung and HTC are the only Android handset OEMs who are turning a profit, and combined their profits are only ~ $2 billion. I doubt the Android partners would be willing to pitch in hundreds of millions each mininum for these patents.

When/if Android becomes too expensive and risky to use, they can always switch to Windows Phone. That's better than betting hundreds of millions of $ on Android.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Wouldn't it be crazy if MS and Apple succeed and they alone dominate high-end handsets, while Android is regulated to Symbian-esc "throw away" phones sold next to fake iPods in the mall? Does anyone think that could actually happen, or have companies invested too much in Android?

Another question: Where is Moto is all of this? Unlike HTC or Samsung, they are pretty much dependent on Android in their current strategy, and they have maybe the best patent portfolio of any Android phone makers.

 

[cheezy321]

Wouldn't it be crazy if MS and Apple succeed and they alone dominate high-end handsets, while Android is regulated to Symbian-esc "throw away" phones sold next to fake iPods in the mall? Does anyone think that could actually happen, or have companies invested too much in Android?

Another question: Where is Moto is all of this? Unlike HTC or Samsung, they are pretty much dependent on Android in their current strategy, and they have maybe the best patent portfolio of any Android phone makers.

I dont think android is going anywhere. Google is just being a big pussy about this whole ordeal. They whine and whine because they cant leverage other players out of the market like they (attempt to) do in search and pretty much every other industry they are involved in. They do the same underhanded tactics in every other industry (Stealing overture's exact business plan anyone?), yet they whine about it in the mobile market. Suck it up Google, you are the market leader for mobile OS's. Pansies.

 

[BenSkywalker]

By using the phrase 'defense mechanism' even you are sucked into the belief that google is the good guy just trying to defend itself while MS and Apple are the big bad evil guys trying to take down the good guy.

/facepalm

June 6th, 1944

You should be able to figure out the rest.

 

[WelshBloke]

Wouldn't it be crazy if MS and Apple succeed and they alone dominate high-end handsets...

Well that's not going to happen!

Much as I was a bit of a windows mobile fan (and still think it wasn't as bad as people make out) I don't think there's any chance of them getting a significant amount of market share unless they do something drastic.

They are too late to the show and don't occupy any niche.

They really shouldn't of made their new OS such a 180 to their last one. It's like they didn't know where to go and just wanted to be like Apple. Problem is nobody is going to be as good as being Apple as Apple, and anyone who wants an Apple type experience is already locked into the iOS ecosystem?

 

[alent1234]

Ok. Fine, that's actually a logical response and I've seen this given as the reason Google opted not to form an alliance to bid on certain patents with MS. But that still doesn't prove MS and Apple is leading a concerted effort to crush Google. Furthermore, Google doesn't explain why it didn't form an alliance with the likes of HTC, Motorola, Samsung, etc. to buy those patents? This would be an Android alliance formed to protect Android. Or does that make too much sense?

google is in the business in grabbing everyone's information and monetizing it for them selves. not paying for other people's work

 

[alent1234]

I don't understand why patents are purchasable in the first place. I think that the original patent holder should hold it until they die or become incompetent, then either they give it to someone in their will, or the owner of the company that the patents were made for gets to hold them. Selling them only creates artificial wars over who has the rights to use what.

The rights to patents should only be able to be licensed, not sold completely.

then a lot of people won't bother inventing stuff like windshield wipers. read up on the story about the guy who invented them and how ford stole the idea

 

[Mopetar]

Another question: Where is Moto is all of this? Unlike HTC or Samsung, they are pretty much dependent on Android in their current strategy, and they have maybe the best patent portfolio of any Android phone makers.

Interestingly enough, avoiding most of the legal spats. Then again they probably been dealing with the company split that they recently underwent and have other things to worry about.

It's also conceivable that they may actually be more interested in seeing Samsung or HTC lose or have serious setbacks. It would probably mean that they'll have an easier time selling Android phones. Also, if worse comes to worse, they hop on the WP7 or WebOS bandwagon.

Google, the manufacturers, and the carriers probably don't care all that much for each other. They all have different business goals and often times those goals don't align.

 

[Pliablemoose]

 

[smartpatrol]

Another question: Where is Moto is all of this? Unlike HTC or Samsung, they are pretty much dependent on Android in their current strategy, and they have maybe the best patent portfolio of any Android phone makers.

Sitting back and watching while their two biggest competitors are put at a disadvantage?

HTC and Samsung are bigger competition for Motorola than Apple is. If someone wants an iPhone, they get an iPhone. If someone wants an Android phone, they have a choice of several nearly identical devices from Samsung, HTC, Motorola, etc. I'm sure Motorola would love to have less competition.

I expect Motorola to take the exact same strategy Google has: remain silent and profit from the system. Then, when their own bottom line is threatened, start whining about how unfair the system is.