“The Federal Trade Commission is backing Apple in the company’s battle with Google over standard-essential patents (SEP), arguing that any attempt to ban a product for allegedly infringing an SEP ‘risks harming competition, innovation, and consumers,'” John Paczkowski reports for AllThingsD.
“The patents Motorola had attempted to assert against Apple were SEPs, which it is obligated to license on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms,” Paczkowski reports. “And in the FTC’s eyes, using the threat of SEP-based injunctions to demand higher royalties or other favorable licensing terms is bad business. It’s a ‘patent hold-up,’ to quote the agency’s term.”
Paczkowski reports, “It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the FTC has sounded off on SEP-driven lawsuits and Google’s efforts to use them to enhance its negotiating stance. Back in June, the agency told the Federal Trade Commission that Google’s request for import bans against Microsoft’s Xbox and Apple’s iPhone for their alleged infringement of its SEPs could hurt competition.”
Read more in the full article here.
When your back is to the wall, you use every weapon at your disposal.
Unfortunately, Google’s arsenal is limited to a broken fly swatter and two slight used spit wads.
But the fly swatter and spit wads are manned by rabid lawyers, the most viscous creatures imaginable.
Thanks for the tip, mossman!
I’d never thought to rub lawyers between my thumb and forefinger, to test their viscosity.
(I KID! I make fun at the expense of your Auto-Correct.)
Thanks for the wonderful laugh. I needed that this morning. The occasionally great wit is all that brings me back here, sometimes.
To be honest, it wasn’t autocorrect itself, I picked the wrong word when it offered a choice. But viscous really does apply just as nicely, doesn’t it?
Them lawyers is so viscous, …
… they pool their young.
😆
wait till Mr. Mole is appointed to the Obama Messiah cabinet..things will change for ol’ Google vis a vis the FTC.
Gangsters In Paradise.
The “Messiah” talk just shows your continued bitterness. Give it up along with the conspiracy theories and you might actually have a life.
What else can you expect from a Yankees fan? Sense?
He’s aint no real Yankee fan, just a leech that gives the rest of ’em a bad image.
He ain’t no Yankee fan, just a rabid leach
The article copies a baffling statement from the All Things D original:
“Back in June, the agency told the Federal Trade Commission that Google’s request … could hurt competition.”
It is corrected in the comments. The agency referred to is the FTC and, no, they did not tell themselves, but the US International Trade Commission.
I am sure that everyone was worried.
Yes couldn’t make any sense of that glad I am not going totally mad.
And while MDN hasn’t updated their excerpt, the original article now correctly identifies the agency the FTC warned.
I can just hear the lawyers telling Schmidt and Page how ill-advised it would be to use SEP’s against anyone and that ultimately they would only harm themselves but the Mole & his evil protege just telling them to shut up and proceed anyway. May they get their comeuppance in spades. Really this kind of abuse should result in the revocation of those patents from the offender and free for all to use thereafter.
This type of thing could easily be Fixed.
When a standard is set the price to be paid by any one\company to use the patents included in the standard should also be set and published then every one is on equal terms and knows ahead of time before they vote on adopting said standard.
That sounds like a good idea…
And all the Fandroids like to go on and on about how evil Apple is for protecting their patents. Who’s evil?
Google must have a pair of really big ones if they think they can get iPhones and iPads banned by the FTC…and I’m not talking about Sergei and Larry.
“And in the FTC’s eyes, using the threat of SEP-based injunctions to demand higher royalties or other favorable licensing terms is bad business.”
It’s also incredibly DESPERATE. WTF is going on over at Google that they have to fake this BS in public? This isn’t just ‘EVIL’, it’s lame FAIL from the outset. DUH it’s groundless rhetoric. WAKE UP G00GLE! 😯