Between the Lines

Larry Dignan, Andrew Nusca and Rachel King

Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

By Rachel King | August 3, 2011, 1:13pm PDT

Summary: As Google grows, so does its list of competitors and enemies.

Google’s Android operating system has risen to become one of the top mobile platforms in the world and the current leader in the United States.

Naturally, this is sure to infuriate Google’s competitors. Because of Android’s success, David Drummond, senior vice president and chief legal officer at Google, wrote on Google’s official blog that this has led to a “hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents.”

Google’s Android platform faces legal threats on a number of fronts at the moment, ranging from disputes with Oracle about patent infringement over Java to several manufacturers (namely Samsung and HTC) that have developed mobile devices (i.e. smartphones and tablets) based on Android to be engaged in multiple lawsuits with Apple.

But Drummond points specifically towards another recent bidding war, among other debacles:

They’re doing this by banding together to acquire Novell’s old patents (the “CPTN” group including Microsoft and Apple) and Nortel’s old patents (the “Rockstar” group including Microsoft and Apple), to make sure Google didn’t get them; seeking $15 licensing fees for every Android device; attempting to make it more expensive for phone manufacturers to license Android (which we provide free of charge) than Windows Mobile; and even suing Barnes & Noble, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung. Patents were meant to encourage innovation, but lately they are being used as a weapon to stop it.

There is no denying that things are becoming much more heated among the top dogs in tech, especially in relation to Android.

However, at a certain point, when everyone has a problem with someone, isn’t that someone to blame to some extent? So is Google in the right here, or does it look like the Goog is buckling under pressure?

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Google Inc., King, Android, Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

mrbewildered 8th Aug

All these companies are buying up whatever patents they can. Some to sue, some to defend. IBM has collected 10s of thousands of patents over the years, and look... They're running around suing everybody. Oh... They aren't? Well, they sued Amazon in 2007 and then settled. Primary reason? I think it was "Don't Tread On Me."

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

tatiGmail 3rd Aug

oh Android...
first they ignore you... (haha, G1)
then they ridicule you... (who is going to by a big phone lol)
then they fight you... (you are violating 120 of our patents)
then you win.

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If Android would keep to be Blackberry copycat, rather than turning into

DeRSSS 3rd Aug

@tatiGmail: ... iPhoneOS copycat after 2007, then no one would be against Android.

Sitting for years at Apple's board of directors, Google was playing the role of Microsoft when Jobs invited them to collaborate with creation of office suit for original Macintosh back in 1982. Microsoft turned out to be silently preparing their version of MacOS, and released Windows.

However, back then Apple was poorly prepared, and in 1983 signed license deal with Microsoft that allowed them to use GUI elements in their products, except of OS.

When Microsoft released their Windows 1.0 in 1985, Apple sued, but Microsoft told that they did not release OS, they released "only" "shell". It was true in that time, but when Microsoft went to release more like actual OS with Windows 3.0 version in 1990, Apple already lost the court trials and the history was made.

This time Jobs and Apple filed more than 200 patent applications (2005-2007) to protect iPhone in every way, so any sane court will ban phones using copycat gesture-based multi-touch UI elements. Google Android may go back to be BlackBerryOS copycat.

However, this scenario would only work in "sane" court system. What reality will bring, we will see.

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Curious to get your thoughts

toddybottom 3rd Aug

@DeRSSS
Are WP7 and WebOS both iPhone copycats as well? After all, they are both multi-touch on a capacitative screen OSs with apps, browsers, email, etc.

Do you believe that Apple should use their 200 patents to also sue HP and MS so that iPhone is the only multi-touch capacitative screen phone allowed to be sold?

Just curious what your thoughts are on this topic since you are obviously very enthusiastic about Apple's success in this area.

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

tonymcs@... 3rd Aug

@DeRSSS

When the current "touch" fad fades away and we're using gestures in the air rather than making our screens unreadable from dirt and fingerprint oil, I wonder if you'll be supporting MS patents that could prevent anyone from waving at a computer device wink

Oh and I used the original Xeroc Parc set-up that Apple copied, no wonder they couldn't get away with pretending they'd actually invented something.

Next time, see if you can tell the difference from an advertising company and marketing and packaging company and a software development company.

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Apple did not copy Xerox what Apple got

James Quinn 3rd Aug

tonymcs@... from Xerox was paid for and completed by Apple since what Xerox sold Apple was not a complete OS.

Pagan jim

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The concept of Multi Touch is not owned by Apple

James Quinn 3rd Aug

@toddybottom what Apple owns is the specific way in which Apple implemented Multitouch in it's devices. Anyone is free to come up with an alternative method or pay Apple either or.

Pagan jim

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James

toddybottom 3rd Aug

I didn't ask what you thought. I'm interested in what the adults think. Go away.

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"Mommy they hit me!!"

LBiege 3rd Aug

I doubt baby-crying in front of public is a sign of winning.

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

Rama.NET Updated - 3rd Aug

@tatiGmail
Sorry, it is not like that. Google denied Microsoft's request of jointly going for Nortel's patents, and went individually. Please get the facts right before saying something. http://www.ip4help.com/2011/08/google-said-no-to-joining-microsoft.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=iphone

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

Pete "athynz" Athens 4th Aug

@tatiGmail Ahh but you forget 2 very important and relevant facts - first one is that Google was invited into the consortium of companies that won the patent bid but Google declined. Second Google lost the bid.

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When an inferior company (Google) cannot compete

iPad-awan 3rd Aug

the first thing they do is cry and complain...

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Stick a fork in Android

Vatdoro 3rd Aug

If you put Google's blog post into Google Translate, this is what it says...

"Wah! I lost, so I'm taking my ball and leaving! You guys will be sorry, because I'm never going to come play here again!. Humph!"

Android is being attacked on all sides for patent infringement. This is the best Google can do? Whine about it, and try to act like a naive victim? Wow. Android's in a worse position than I thought.

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

mary.branscombe 3rd Aug

So is this when Google allows others to use its PageRank patent on FRAND terms to build other search engines, or are patents only anti-innovation when Google's the one wanting access? I'd like to see Google address patents broadly enough to include the ones they hold...

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

Lord Minty 3rd Aug

With Android having almost 50% of the Asian markets is this sort of 'action' surprising? Android is an unstoppable juggernaut, Nokia and RIM are just it's first two casualties.

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

KenoshaSysAdmin 3rd Aug

@Lord Minty

Sorry Buddy, but considering that both of those companies are continuing to grow their user base quarter after quarter, year after year indicates otherwise. Contrary to what "the media" & fanboys are saying, there is room for more than 1 smartphone platform (i'll go out on a limb and say theres room for more than two also).
Iphones are clearly the best piece of hardware. But your ******* are still all wet over android devices.
I personally prefer my blackberry. I dont want to carry an ugly linux mini computer in my pocket. I dont game on my phone, so i dont want an iphone. I love the design of curve/torch lines and it does everything I want it do and does it all well.
There is room for more than two platforms.

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

GreasyTacoAficionado 3rd Aug

Regarding those patents bought from Nortel by MSFT, Apple, & RIM, does anyone know if those companies will share licencing revenue or will they each sue Goog separately?

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A patent can only be defended by the legal owner

wackoae 3rd Aug

@GreasyTacoAficionado So the group can only sue as the conglomerate ..... they can't sue as individuals.

They also have to share the revenue based on the % of ownership of the conglomerate.

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Reminds me of Hillary Clintons "vast right wing conspiracy"

Johnny Vegas 3rd Aug

Was he wearing one of her power pantsuits when he posted this or a full on dress? What a bunch of misleading cry baby nonsense. pathetic...

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

owlnet 3rd Aug

Innovate or perish... google is utter pathatic. The blogpost speaks volumes of its incompetant attitude.

Duh!!!!!!!

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

AdnanPirota 3rd Aug

@owlnet
what does innovate translate in the world of open source ?

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

ItsTheBottomLine 3rd Aug

"David Drummond" Sob Sniff Snob poor baby...apparently the International courts agree with them.

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RE: Google speaks out about 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android

srshaw 3rd Aug

Whine.... everyone is picking on us. Stop it guys, this isn't fun anymore! It was only fun when we were picking on everyone else!

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Didn't Google just pay big bucks for a bunch of IBM patents?

Userama 3rd Aug

So they're getting loaded for bear, and I'm sure they'll make some company's life miserable when they cash them in. So why should Google whine when someone tries to protect their IP from them?