Google Inc. has issued a formal statement against Microsoft as well as Apple on their official blog today, specifying that the two business have joined as much as battle against Android utilizing the power of patents.
A bit history lesson is in order: Apple as well as Microsoft both have been on suing-sprees lately, suing the likes of Samsung, Motorola as well as HTC – all three being the top Android smartphone vendors – for infringing upon a broad range of patents ranging from exactly how their software application works as well as exactly how their hardware looks.
Yes, Apple sued Samsung for blatantly copying the iphone as well as iPad with their Galaxy S as well as Galaxy Tab products. The fruit business later sued Taiwanese smartphone producer HTC for infringing upon ten of its patents and, as such, Cupertino seeks to stop HTC from selling its phones in the united states of America. Microsoft, on the other hand, takes $15 per handset from HTC for utilizing different patents. As a matter of fact, the people up in Redmond make 5 times much more money from Android than they do from Windows Phone 7!
A stern blog publish from David Drummond (Senior VP as well as chief legal policeman at Google) was published on Google’s official blog today. Drummond specifies that Microsoft as well as Apple have teamed up for an “organized campaign” against Android. The two companies, according to Google, are making it harder for Android smartphone vendors to continue producing phones with so numerous lawsuits. Patents were previously utilized to motivate innovation, now they are being utilized a weapon to stop it, states Drummond.
This, Drummond notes, is all since of Android’s explosive growth. The platform is currently seeing 550,000 activations each day with over 39 producers as well as 231 wireless carriers from around the world.
From Google Blog:
I have worked in the tech industry for over two decades. Microsoft as well as Apple have always been at each other’s throats, so when they get into bed together you have to begin wondering what’s going on…
They’re doing this by banding together to obtain Novell’s old patents (the “CPTN” group including Microsoft as well as Apple) as well as Nortel’s old patents (the “Rockstar” group including Microsoft as well as Apple), to make sure Google didn’t get them; seeking $15 licensing charges for each Android device; attempting to make it much more costly for phone producers to permit Android (which we offer totally free of charge) than Windows Mobile; as well as even suing Barnes & Noble, HTC, Motorola, as well as Samsung. Patents were implied to motivate innovation, however lately they are being utilized as a weapon to stop it.
Google is positive that that the patent portfolios that were snatched up by Microsoft, Apple as well as other business will be taken under notice by the legislation as well as that “this patent bubble will pop”.
A couple of weeks ago, executive Chairman Eric Schmidt categorically specified that Google will not let HTC lose the suit that Apple has filed against them. Today’s news seems to be the very first steps into Google’s efforts to satisfy their promise.
What are your thoughts on these “patent wars” that all the smartphone producers as well as mobile OS business are currently hectic in? We look ahead to your thoughts in our comments section on Facebook!
You can comply with us on Twitter or join our Facebook fanpage to keep yourself updated on all the most recent from Microsoft, Google as well as Apple.