Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Google 'Supercharging Android' With Acquisition of Motorola Mobility
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
http://brianshall.com/content/google-are-*******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.
A good read if you haven't already.
It will be interesting to see what happens to all the other phone MFG's out there who put Android on their phones, looks like everyone will be left out in the cold as RIM slowly dies and Microsoft Mobile 7 never gets started, and the same for HP's Palm OS which is not selling.
Looks like Apple and Google will be the only two left standing when the dust settles.
I wouldn't call it a spin. When Google went to the table with a bid for the Nortel patents, it was out of necessity. Everyone had backed them into a corner already, and that was like adding a suicide bomber to the assault rifles already firing at them. Their intent was to stave off patent law suits and have some bargaining power. Everyone else's intent was to cripple Google legally. Very different.
I personally think this was an awesome move on Google's part. Google shouldn't just lay on their back idly while everyone has screws them and hit them with these stupid patent law suits.
All these patent law suits do is stifle innovation and consumer choice. I'm not a huge Android fan for the record. I think it's a clunky OS that's lacked refinement but has a great deal of potential.
Though, I think this might be a double edged sword for Google later on down the line. They may say "we're keeping Android open" but owning a manufacture gives them an undisputed advantage. When they start churning out phones better optimized that upgrade better and an over all better Android experience, you can bet the other companies will cry fowl and war will start along with more of these idiotic law suits.
If anything, putting fire under people's areses only helps push out innovation across the board. I just kind of hate Motorola phones and products. Always have.
Motorola just threatened to sue all of the Android manufacturers. MS and Apple have the legal muscle and the IP to hold off Motorola. HTC/LG is another story.
Can't think of 17,000 different ideas...
Wow... Motorola alone has 17,000 patents? I bet software patents these days are sort of:
#1. Method to do stuff with one gadget.
#2. Method to do stuff with two gadgets.
#3. Method to do stuff with three gadgets.
...
#567 Method to do stuff with one leg on a chair.
#568 Method to NOT do stuff with one leg on a chair.
...
Wow... Motorola alone has 17,000 patents? I bet software patents these days are sort of:
#1. Method to do stuff with one gadget.
#2. Method to do stuff with two gadgets.
#3. Method to do stuff with three gadgets.
...
#567 Method to do stuff with one leg on a chair.
#568 Method to NOT do stuff with one leg on a chair.
...
Wait a second....
So now Apple is suing Google over the Xoom ?
I think they might have better lawyers. This night even help Samsung in their case too.
So now Apple is suing Google over the Xoom ?
I think they might have better lawyers. This night even help Samsung in their case too.
Looks like Google might be getting out of the universal licensing game in order to pull off an Apple.
Google wants panache, class, and brand recognition. More control, opportunities to build and promote the Google brand - in other words, it's all "Think Different."
This will also allow Google (or at least give them greater control) to fix their current Android tablet woes. NEEDS MORE CONTROL.
We might just be seeing the "Taming of Android" here.
Remaining OEMS will sooner or later take a hike. Google is done with them.
This places MS in an interesting position, though it might already be too late for them.
Google wants panache, class, and brand recognition. More control, opportunities to build and promote the Google brand - in other words, it's all "Think Different."
This will also allow Google (or at least give them greater control) to fix their current Android tablet woes. NEEDS MORE CONTROL.
We might just be seeing the "Taming of Android" here.
Remaining OEMS will sooner or later take a hike. Google is done with them.
This places MS in an interesting position, though it might already be too late for them.
there was a cheaper way
Why not just pay a license fee to all the "non open" patents Google built into Android? They just bought a farm but know nothing about milking cows.
Why not just pay a license fee to all the "non open" patents Google built into Android? They just bought a farm but know nothing about milking cows.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)
To everyone who says they did this for the patents, how relevant are the patents Motorola holds in today's market? Being as old as they are, I'm sure they have a significant amount of patents that aren't related to current technology? From what I've read, Motorola was very late to the game with it's digital technology and I'm sure late to the smart phone market. I'm betting a lot of the patents are for analog based phones, used when Motorola was king.
Just my thoughts...
To everyone who says they did this for the patents, how relevant are the patents Motorola holds in today's market? Being as old as they are, I'm sure they have a significant amount of patents that aren't related to current technology? From what I've read, Motorola was very late to the game with it's digital technology and I'm sure late to the smart phone market. I'm betting a lot of the patents are for analog based phones, used when Motorola was king.
Just my thoughts...
Nice plagiarism. (Unless you are Michael Gartenberg.)
https://twitter.com/#!/Gartenberg/status/103083216746979328
Where have you seen this?
Motorola is an Android manufacturer, are they going to sue themselves?
I think this simply vindicates Apples/Jobs position of better product by tied developing.
Wonder how long before Larry changes his mind about "open"?
Wonder how long before Larry changes his mind about "open"?
You know, if Microsoft buys out Nokia, Apple could actually buy out RIM. RIM would give Apple access to the corporate world. Imagine an Apple-ized RIM device. That could be rather cool.
With all respect what would you expect them to say? Right now the major manufacturers have a lot invested in Android and have to follow that through but I'm almost certain they're going to be watching this situation very carefully. Honestly I'd expect to see those manufacturers without a direct link to the OS providers switching to the widest possible range of OS's to hedge their bets.
For that matter, would anyone be surprised to see someone, let's say Amazon for arguments sake, coming forward sometime soon with a fork of Android packing an alternative app store and an open source licence?
BLECH! Why? Other than to buy them, and disband them. Some people love HTC phones. I for one, can't stand them...
Motorola sued Apple back in Fall 2010 for not licensing about 20 patents related to 3G, GPRS, WiFi and antenna design.
Apple countersued shortly afterwards with a handful of patents (increased later to also about 20, off the top of my head).
So those two companies are already at battle.
This is all about patents. Wow, this is going to be a lawsuit war!
Expect Apple to go on a spending spree!!!
Expect Apple to go on a spending spree!!!
Err no. Google could use Motorola to leverage against Apple so Apple would cross license with other Android manufacturers. Remember how Schmidt last month said that Google would make sure HTC doesn't lose to Apple lawsuits? This is how they do it.
What patents? Motorola has been sucking wind for years now. Any patents Apple was infringing on have already been licensed a long time ago, and ones in dispute are already in the courts. There is already ongoing litigation with Moto. It'll just be taken over by Google. Yet we don't see Apple hamstrung by any Moto patents since 2007.
