Well, there you have it: Google is evil hypocritical patent trolls...

[ajdroidx]

A little old, but I just seen it:

Google formed with an internal motto of "Don't Be Evil" in response to the perceived business practices of Microsoft, and then proceeded over the years to manipulate customer data (see what Google does when you search) and force software on users (see how you are already signed up for Google+) much like Redmond. Now the Mountain View company is taking hypocrisy to a new level with their latest lawsuit against the Apple- and Microsoft-led Rockstar Consortium. Ah, the irony!

Google vs. Rockstar
Last week Google filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California against Rockstar and its subsidiary, MobileStar Technologies. The case was brought in response to a series of lawsuits Rockstar filed in October 2013 in the Eastern District of Texas against Google and seven of its Android hardware partners: Samsung, Huawei, ZTE, LG, HTC, Pantech, and ASUSTeK.

The Rockstar lawsuit against Google focused on search engine use, and also included actions against the Android manufacturer for a variety of hardware and software issues. Google's response, however, is an attempt to block and disrupt that lawsuit, based on lots of fancy talk about what a rotten patent troll Rockstar is.

Many bloggers around the internet have taken the bait and attempted to turn this story into a "Google against Apple's Patent Troll" hero's journey, but the facts suggest something ironically different.

Patent Troll

Patent troll? You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Rockstar was formed by Apple, BlackBerry, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, and Sony to purchase the patents of dying tech star Nortel in July of 2011 for $4.5 billion. Google is attempting to spin this event as an example of patent trolling, while ignoring the fact that it was the company that overinflated the price for these patents in the first place.

Google went hard after the Nortel patents, opening with a $900 million bid that sounded alarm bells across the industry. It was clear what Google wanted to do with these patents: use them to force Apple to stop suing Android manufactures. Google bid as high as $4.4 billion for the patents. No other single company wanted to pay as much as Google to gain these patents, but by joining together and forming Rockstar, they were able to cobble together a winning bid of $4.5 billion.

But Google was not finished there; the Mountain View company went on to buy the remains of Motorola for $12.5 billion and has tried unsuccessfully to use those patents to sue Apple and other members of Rockstar. To date, the Motorola purchase has been a total bust for Google in the courtroom.

And that isn't even the extent of Google's use/misuse of the patent system to protect itself. As Florian Mueller points outs in an op/ed piece for The Hill from this past November, Google "bought roughly 2,000 patents from IBM, and smaller quantities from failed startups and entities it now denounces as 'trolls', such as Mosaid, against which it later brought an antitrust complaint in the European Union. Another 'troll', Intellectual Ventures, had received one of its first investments ever from Google."

Google has been aggressive in seeking out patents to use as leverage against other companies since the release of Android, which Mueller correctly states was released "in 2007, using

 

[Rxpert83]

Apart from that writers blatant bias, he failed to mention rock star doesn't actually make any products, and was formed strictly to go after Google in patent lawsuits.

That is the definition of a patent troll.

Google went on the attack to defend its manufacturers as well as the nexus products. Not really anything to write home about. The author of that article is obviously after clicks.

 

[MLSS]

That's a pretty biased and one sided article.

 

[Rxpert83]

Just to balance it out here's a view from the android side :
Google Responds Forcefully To Microsoft And Apple-Led Patent Assault, Seeks Direct Ruling On Nexus Devices

http://phandroid.com/2013/12/26/google-rockstar-patent-lawsuit/

 

[zuben el genub]

Apple has its own hypocrisy. The pricing of ebooks.
Apple execs have hissy fit over losing book case - Fanboys send abusive mail to court official | TechEye

MS has had problems with IE. They all want to be the only system in your electronic life and the internet of things.

Now most are doing deals with auto makers. Are you going to buy a car for performance, mileage, or the OS in the console?

All of them need to learn about choice and to quit trying to corner the market. MS will never convince Apple Fanboys or Android fanatics. The same goes for the others.

This is the one reason why I won't put all eggs in one basket. I use a Windows box, I run only Adobe and Corel. I do secure stuff over Linux. I buy apps from Play, but nothing else. Chrome is not allowed on the computer. There are independent booksellers where I can buy EPUB versions of books with no damn strings and read them where I choose. Plus store them offline. I do buy other articles from Amazon since where I live doesn't carry much stuff.

What's the old quote about bread and circuses?

 

[Unforgiven]

Apple has its own hypocrisy. The pricing of ebooks.
Apple execs have hissy fit over losing book case - Fanboys send abusive mail to court official | TechEye

MS has had problems with IE. They all want to be the only system in your electronic life and the internet of things.

Both of those scenarios ended up in settlements with the FTC / DOJ to put an end to antitrust investigations. I think that is a bit different than defending patents or using patents as an offensive weapon as is being discussed here.

Now most are doing deals with auto makers. Are you going to buy a car for performance, mileage, or the OS in the console?

All of them need to learn about choice and to quit trying to corner the market. MS will never convince Apple Fanboys or Android fanatics. The same goes for the others.

This is the one reason why I won't put all eggs in one basket. I use a Windows box, I run only Adobe and Corel. I do secure stuff over Linux. I buy apps from Play, but nothing else. Chrome is not allowed on the computer. There are independent booksellers where I can buy EPUB versions of books with no damn strings and read them where I choose. Plus store them offline. I do buy other articles from Amazon since where I live doesn't carry much stuff.

What's the old quote about bread and circuses?

And this deals with patents how? The topic here is whether Google is falling into the patent trolling trap, let stick to that topic. If you have any questions, my inbox is always open.

 

[MLSS]

Me thinks this will be a nasty fight that will last for years and years.

 

[jhawkkw]

Me thinks this will be a nasty fight that will last for years and years.

I think so too, especially after apple won such a large sum from Samsung.

Companies will either need to sign cross licence deals, the courts stop taking these cases due to perceived absurdity, or the patent system is completely overhauled in order for it to stop. I don't place great odds on options 2 or 3, so onward it continues.

 

[recDNA]

Some patents never should have been awarded. A patent on a slider to unlock screen? Really? Why not just award Apple a patent on all smartphone technology now or in the future?

 

[MLSS]

Some patents never should have been awarded. A patent on a slider to unlock screen? Really? Why not just award Apple a patent on all smartphone technology now or in the future?

That's kinda what Apple is thinking.

 

[dan330]

i personally think..

if i keep getting kicked in the shins... i will eventually return the favor with a bat!

 

[mrex]

You Won't Believe Google's Latest Hypocrisy

Only hypocrisy was this article on MacLife.

All I can say: "You've made your bed, now lie in it"

 

[sfbloodbrother]

Apart from that writers blatant bias, he failed to mention rock star doesn't actually make any products, and was formed strictly to go after Google in patent lawsuits.

That is the definition of a patent troll.

Google went on the attack to defend its manufacturers as well as the nexus products. Not really anything to write home about. The author of that article is obviously after clicks.

I couldnet say it better myself. Google is just defenting themselves in the trolls of rockstar