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> 1) They're not going to actually enforce it because that would damage their image significantly. The motto again? They are a public company. They have a si

by danssig 16y ago

> 1) They're not going to actually enforce it because that would damage their image significantly. The motto again? They are a public company. They have a silly motto on a wall and laws they must obey. When the two are in conflict with each other which do you think is going to be followed? I have to say though, if this whole thing has taught me anything it's taught me that every business I make from here on out is going to have some sappy stupid motto. That way, even otherwise intelligent people like are found on HN will give me the benefit of the doubt every time I do something that is in my interests and against everyone else's.

saulrh 16y ago
Not the motto so much as how everybody else currently perceives them. It's difficult for them to do something that would overcome their reputation, but if they manage it, that reputation comes right around and bites them in the rear. Suing everybody over something this trivial would do a lot of damage, and the giant reminder they have posted on top of the most visited page on the internet would push it straight into backlash territory.
notahacker 16y ago
As a huge public company providing services to consumers, any damages they could conceivably win would be dwarfed by the damage to their public image by doing it (not to mention the high likelihood of the suit failing, countersuits or scrutiny of other areas of their patent portfolio they'd really rather protect) If I held Google shares I'd actually consider it a breach of their fiduciary duty for Google's management to waste resources and goodwill pursuing a suit over something so trivial.
- danssig 16y ago
  >any damages they could conceivably win would be dwarfed by the damage to their public image by doing it Given the things they've already said and done (e.g. the cell thing, "if you've got nothing to hide", the fake china pull out) I don't buy it. They've got enough people to buy into this "Don't do evil" nonsense that even if they did sue someone over this silly patent a million google defenders would pop out and explain why they just had to do it.

by danssig 16y ago

saulrh 16y ago

Not the motto so much as how everybody else currently perceives them. It's difficult for them to do something that would overcome their reputation, but if they manage it, that reputation comes right around and bites them in the rear. Suing everybody over something this trivial would do a lot of damage, and the giant reminder they have posted on top of the most visited page on the internet would push it straight into backlash territory.

notahacker 16y ago

As a huge public company providing services to consumers, any damages they could conceivably win would be dwarfed by the damage to their public image by doing it (not to mention the high likelihood of the suit failing, countersuits or scrutiny of other areas of their patent portfolio they'd really rather protect) If I held Google shares I'd actually consider it a breach of their fiduciary duty for Google's management to waste resources and goodwill pursuing a suit over something so trivial.

danssig 16y ago
>any damages they could conceivably win would be dwarfed by the damage to their public image by doing it Given the things they've already said and done (e.g. the cell thing, "if you've got nothing to hide", the fake china pull out) I don't buy it. They've got enough people to buy into this "Don't do evil" nonsense that even if they did sue someone over this silly patent a million google defenders would pop out and explain why they just had to do it.