Home Google accuses Apple, Oracle and Microsoft of an Android patent war

Google accuses Apple, Oracle and Microsoft of an Android patent war

 
google
In Googles official blog Google’s Chief Legal Officer and Senior VP, David Drummond accused Microsoft, Apple and Oracle of campaign of patent war against Android.

… Although there are numerous patent cases surrounding Google’s mostly open source mobile operating system Android, only one of them, Oracle’s case, directly addresses Google. All the other cases involve handset manufacturers either being taken to court for patent infringement (Apple vs HTC and Apple vs Samsung) or paying patent licence fees to Microsoft for undisclosed patents.
Drummond complains that the “anti-competitive strategy is also escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they’re really worth” citing the bidding for Nortel’s patent portfolio which went to a consortium for $4.5 billion. Drummond says that is nearly five times more than the pre-auction estimate, but does not mention that Google bid at least $3.14 billion for the same patents and possibly as much as $4 billion.
He says that Google is reassured by actions such as the Department of Justice’s conditions placed on the CPTN consortium which bought the Novell patent portfolio, patents Drummond alleges were purchased as part of an anti-Android campaign to “make sure Google didn’t get them”. Microsoft’s Brad Smith responded directly to this accusation on Twitter saying “Google says we bought Novell patents to keep them from Google. Really? We asked them to bid jointly with us. They said no.”. Frank Shaw, Microsoft Head of Communications then published a copy of a letter from Google’s General Counsel, Kent Walker, to Brad Smith turning down the opportunity to join Microsoft’s bid.
Google’s Drummond says that the company is encouraged by reports that the DoJ is looking into the Nortel patent acquisition. According to the Wall Street Journal report, sources say the DoJ is “interviewing consortium members on whether they have plans to file patent infringement suits against handset makers using Google’s Android software”. Despite Drummond’s statement casting doubt on the validity of the majority of patents by using terms like “bogus”, “largely questionable” and “dubious”, he said that Google is also building up its patent portfolio. It recently acquired, for an undisclosed sum, more than 1,000 patents from IBM.

Source h-online

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.