“Android, the mobile operating system from Google, has been on a tear over the past two years,” Peter Burrows and Dina Bass report for Businessweek. “Its share of the smartphone market rocketed from less than 3 percent to 48 percent during that time, according to research firm Canalys.”
“Yet there’s one thing that may stop, or at least slow, Android’s ascent: patent fights,” Burrows and Bass report. “Google and HTC, Motorola, and Samsung, the three largest manufacturers of Android handsets, have each been hit with lawsuits claiming their mobile software violates others’ patents… Google, with fewer patents of its own and lots of enemies, is in a uniquely poor position.”
“An abbreviated list of the ongoing litigation: Oracle is demanding the search giant pay $6 billion for using its Java mobile software. Apple has sued Taiwan-based HTC for violating its patents, and on July 15 a judge found in favor of the iPhone maker, which could result in a American import ban on certain HTC phones,” Burrows and Bass report. “In a similar suit in Australia, Samsung agreed on Aug. 1 not to import a version of its iPad-like Galaxy Tab.”
Burrows and Bass report, “The lawsuits could substantially raise the cost of making Android phones. To settle an infringement claim, HTC last year agreed to pay Microsoft $5 for every handset it sells, according to estimates from Citibank Global Markets (C) analyst Walter H. Pritchard. If other claims are successful, the total royalty bill could make Android hardware makers consider alternative phone software—including Microsoft’s—says Kevin Rivette, managing partner at 3LP Advisors. ‘Patents are the only card left for these established companies to play—and it’s an ace,’ says Rivette.”
Read more in the full article here.
It’s amazing the way Fandroids and Google backers dismiss Google’s actions in ripping off the IP of others, and the idea that patents are bad and unnecessary.
From one of the comments following the linked article… “They (Google) have an attitude of, ‘Let’s generate revenue first and ask questions later,’.” or…
“It’s easier (and more convenient) to ask forgiveness after the fact (ripping off others’ IP) than permission before it.”
As the book “In The Plex” points out, Google seems to think it can utilize the IP of others with impunity as it claims to “do no evil” and helps fulfill it’s holy goal of being God’s gift to humanity.
Someone needs to lift Google’s search algorithm and beat Google with a stick, and then see how quickly the Googlepussies throw a fit and sue.
Two things give google its position- first it is well known and well established, so it has momentum, and the second is, it had page rank.
Well, the thing is, page rank doesn’t work anymore, because it is being gamed.
So, while it would be easy to make a search engine that used page rank (and in fact, I can think of some improvements on page rank that google isn’t even using right now) and thus was as good or better than google… the hard part would be getting people to use it.
Look at duckduckgo.com they are a better search engine, but nearly nobody knows about them .
I know none of this is relevant to the point you’re making about wants’ good for the goose is good for the gander, I just thought I’d answer the issue seriously, because search is something I’ve thought about in depth.
How far will Google go in defending a platform it receives no direct revenue from, the financial lost could be the least of it. Google is aware that the big battle it faces in the future is against a Microsoft / Facebook coalition. Eric Schmidt deceitful move to use priority information gleaned from his trusted position on Apples board has put a split between Apple and Google and google should begin to realize that alienating a former philosophic partner like Apple could cost it way more them it ever realizes from their Android folly. Larry & Serge should take the opportunity of Eric’s stepping down to reverse itself and once again embrace it’s old partner Apple
I want to start a new search service using Google’s technology. I would not charge as much for ad placement (actually be free). Who can help me get their ip?
I’ll call it Freegle®
Sorry Freegle already exists. But WTH, just steal that too. Hey I’m even starting to be like Google already!
You can always start a search engine using Google’s patented PageRank system and call it Goofree, which can mean two things. You’re free from Google’s evil influence and it’s free of gooey Google-like advertisements.
I see what you did there MDN! Funny! Very amusing!
‘Patents are the only card left for these established companies to play—and it’s an ace,’
no, actually, they’re quite a few of those cards in the hands of several players. that makes them (plural) “trumps.”
Google feels it is above the law.
Great headline!
Google has more and serious problems:
Credibility (and feelings of betrayal) by their manufacturer android partners facing litigation; and
Credibility (and feelings of betrayal) by their Android customers, feeling like they bought an “illegal copy”, and that their Android appliance may not be supported, and be “banned”.
Bad, bad PR for Google’s brand in the tech and public sectors.
Good point on the pr but first it has to make the ten o’clock news ….
When it does that then you may have something ….. Or other case is they stop developing and just stay with what they have ….. Imagine after a year or two the consumer will want the newest and try Apple or mr. Softie ….