It is, but that doesnt mean the Motorola isnt going to get preferential treatment. They will of course be the next Nexus provider.
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Google 'Supercharging Android' With Acquisition of Motorola Mobility
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It is, but that doesnt mean the Motorola isnt going to get preferential treatment. They will of course be the next Nexus provider.
God sold out
It's almost like Google bought God for $12B USD. Motorola is about as old of a cell phone maker as exists.
Okay, now it's okay for them to rip off other companies, they got leverage. :-(
I don't believe this is smart for Google in the long run. They had to do it before Samsung had to pay Microsoft royalties. Too late for the other Android licensees of Microsoft technology. Maybe there is still time for Microsoft to stick it to Samsung while the FTC/SEC is investigating. I don't think it will be allowed to happen.
Anyhow, in the long run, Moto was hurting profit wise (loss actually, IIRC thanks to Asymco). Google just blew over a third of their war chest on a loser. The Foss Patents story on Motorola (just hours before the announcement of the acquisition) explained the only way Motorola could use it's patents, which was against the other Android partners (Samsung, HTC, etc). Google won't be using those 17K patents against Android partners, and they won't be using them against Apple, RIM, Nokia, Microsoft partners because there are already agreements in place, so they just burned $12B to protect themselves against Lodsys type trolls.
It's almost like Google bought God for $12B USD. Motorola is about as old of a cell phone maker as exists.
Okay, now it's okay for them to rip off other companies, they got leverage. :-(
I don't believe this is smart for Google in the long run. They had to do it before Samsung had to pay Microsoft royalties. Too late for the other Android licensees of Microsoft technology. Maybe there is still time for Microsoft to stick it to Samsung while the FTC/SEC is investigating. I don't think it will be allowed to happen.
Anyhow, in the long run, Moto was hurting profit wise (loss actually, IIRC thanks to Asymco). Google just blew over a third of their war chest on a loser. The Foss Patents story on Motorola (just hours before the announcement of the acquisition) explained the only way Motorola could use it's patents, which was against the other Android partners (Samsung, HTC, etc). Google won't be using those 17K patents against Android partners, and they won't be using them against Apple, RIM, Nokia, Microsoft partners because there are already agreements in place, so they just burned $12B to protect themselves against Lodsys type trolls.
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Notice that whilst Apple is probably not infringing any Motorola patents - does not mean that Apple are not currently licencing them.
That is as good a weapon as infringement.
Summary - Patents in the US are dooming innovation like nothing else ever has, the sooner the existing patent system is destroyed the better.
That is as good a weapon as infringement.
Summary - Patents in the US are dooming innovation like nothing else ever has, the sooner the existing patent system is destroyed the better.
We've seen this sort of thing play out before with a different company. It didn't end well. Though Google already has a firm footing in the universal-licensing game with Android.
I think Apple will have more of a battle because Google is tightening up the Android line up. Instead of like 15 phones a year, there will be like 3-4. Biggest complaint is when you have different phones running the same OS it works well for some, but other will have major slow down and lost of features. Apple has people on a schedule. This is the year of iPad 2 and iPhone 5. This is the year of iOS 5 and Lion. I have always said... if you want to be successful you have to make the Software AND the Hardware. (not in money but respect)
This is not just about patents
While acquiring Motorola's Patents will help the Android cause, most of them are phone related, not necessarily smart phone OS related (which most of the lawsuits are coming from). IF they really wanted to protect HTC and Samsung, they would've jsut bought the patents from Motorola and not buy the whole thing. Google doesn't do hardware, they are a services company.
IN the end this move is to clearly control the faith of Android in the future and that will most certainly affect players like Samsung and HTC.
As a user, from whom would you buy your next Android handset, from Motorola which is directly tied to Google and therefore will always have the latest and greatest updates. Or go with another company and have to wait (months) for the manufacturer to make all the necessary software updates to their respective handsets (and only on the newer hardware).
In the end HTC and Samsung would not be in control of their faith and would always be behind in their own market.
While acquiring Motorola's Patents will help the Android cause, most of them are phone related, not necessarily smart phone OS related (which most of the lawsuits are coming from). IF they really wanted to protect HTC and Samsung, they would've jsut bought the patents from Motorola and not buy the whole thing. Google doesn't do hardware, they are a services company.
IN the end this move is to clearly control the faith of Android in the future and that will most certainly affect players like Samsung and HTC.
As a user, from whom would you buy your next Android handset, from Motorola which is directly tied to Google and therefore will always have the latest and greatest updates. Or go with another company and have to wait (months) for the manufacturer to make all the necessary software updates to their respective handsets (and only on the newer hardware).
In the end HTC and Samsung would not be in control of their faith and would always be behind in their own market.
Apple already has licenses and litigation with Motorola. This is about stopping Motorola from destroying Android.
So according to Google's top brass when Apple buys patents it's anti-competative, but Google buying patents is breaking new ground? Hypocrisy defined right there. 
Worst thing is to buy things you have no use for or just because someone else is buying them.
So they're untrue?
Likely. You really believe that all the other Android manufacturers "welcome" Google buying Motorola? Give me a break.
Wonder what Google promised them for their "cooperation".
Did Google just promise they will cross license the Motorola patents free of charge to all Android handset/tablet makers and developers? If not, your comment doesn't make any sense.
Those statements from the other manufacturers are all practically identical, which means the statements released were managed beforehand between all of them. So we don't really know how they feel internally. I imagine there is some trepidation there though, and I'm sure Google had to do some reassuring.
I see this as a good thing for consumers. True competition in the marketplace is never a bad thing. Apple & Google will continue to develop the latest and greatest for a bigger slice of the pie. The winner in all of this will be us as we get better hardware and software.
I don't know if LG, Samsung & HTC will be affected too much. They'll continue to work with Google on using Android in their devices. They're not going to cut off their nose to spite their face.
I don't know if LG, Samsung & HTC will be affected too much. They'll continue to work with Google on using Android in their devices. They're not going to cut off their nose to spite their face.
So according to Google's top brass when Apple buys patents it's anti-competative, but Google buying patents is breaking new ground? Hypocrisy defined right there.
So they should just have let others steamroll the platform with litigation? This is a reaction to the situation Google have found themselves in.
I've got nothing else to go by, unless all press releases and PR is bull-****? Are you (and others) so negative when it comes to Apple PR stuff?
So they're untrue?
Stock holders for all of those companies should be concerned that their CEOs are giving statements dictated by a partner.