Google no doubt considers it worthwhile to try exhausting every possible avenue to seize control of the patent before giving up. This is win/win if them if thei

Google no doubt considers it worthwhile to try exhausting every possible avenue to seize control of the patent before giving up. This is win/win if them if their stated intent of protecting their free codecs is to be believed. Either they end up with the patent or they nail down a rock solid precedent that everything in their codec is in the public domain. Either way they achieve their goal of not having to worry about having outside patents filed on the contents of their codecs.