How Google controls Android: digging deep into the Skyhook filings

15 years ago

“You might remember that a company called Skyhook Wireless sued Google back in September for business interference and patent infringement — the Skyhook XPS WiFi and cell tower positioning system was all set to ship in the Droid X before Google got involved and Motorola dropped it from the phone,” Nilay Patel reports for This is my next.

“The case is still ongoing, but it just passed a major milestone last week when Google’s initial motions to dismiss and for summary judgment were denied — and lucky for us, a huge trove of documentation was unsealed by the court,” Patel reports. “The sheer amount of information is enormous — over 750 pages across 88 documents — and it offers a look into the nitty-gritty of Google’s Android device approval process, including emails between Andy Rubin and Moto CEO Sanjay Jha.”

Patel reports, “Perhaps surprisingly, it’s relatively clear from the evidence that Google is the major gatekeeper between OEMs and the market — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg… Google plays a major role in Android device development, to the point where Andy Rubin himself approves and denies requests from OEMs. It’s also clear that Google places tremendous value on collecting location data, and it acted swiftly when it determined Skyhook’s deal with Motorola might threaten its ability to collect that data. Hell, one of the headings in Google’s summary judgment brief is ‘Skyhook was not entitled to deprive Google of its contractual right to collect location data on Motorola Android devices.’ Can’t say it much plainer than that, really. And Google’s doesn’t hesitate to use its muscle to get what it wants from OEMs — it revised Samsung’s app license to specifically require Google location services be installed and used by default. Whether or not Google’s behavior is anti-competitive is a matter for the court to decide, but it’s definitely aggressive… For all of Android’s open-source ideals, Google is very much in control — and it’s not shy about letting its partners know it.”

Much, much more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JMarra” for the heads up.]