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Gruber is no Google-lover, but in this case he is right on the money for calling out Google's hypocrisy. What if Google won the Nortel patents with their pi bil

Gruber is no Google-lover, but in this case he is right on the money for calling out Google's hypocrisy. What if Google won the Nortel patents with their pi billion dollars bid?

joebadmo 15y ago
Then they would have unhypocrytically continued to use them only defensively. Can you explain exactly how Google is being hypocritical in this case?
- sasidharm 15y ago
  They are being hypocritical by saying that Apple and Msft bid many more times than what those patents are really worth, when Google itself bid upto 4 billion dollars. And what gaurantee does Google provide that they wouldn't sue competitors aggressively? Dont tell me its because their 'motto' is Dont be evil.
  - icebraining 15y ago
    >And what gaurantee does Google provide that they wouldn't sue competitors aggressively? So they are hypocritical because of something they haven't done? By that logic, everyone is an hypocrite. Has Google ever actually sued competitors aggressively? Not that I know of.
  - Rusky 15y ago
    The difference is that even if Google were to try to use those patents offensively against Apple and Microsoft, they probably wouldn't have much of an impact- Google's motivation was defensive, and they pretty much had to try for those patents. On the other hand, Apple and Microsoft are /already/ having an impact on Android and these patents would only strengthen them- their motivation was offensive and they were the ones who inflated the prices just to hurt Google.
yanw 15y ago
Then it would be perfectly fine, they would be able to stop Microsoft and its elk from extorting patent fees, but the whole issue lies in that the patent went to Microsoft and Apple and others like them for the sole purpose of extorting Android.
Lewisham 15y ago
Do you know of any case of where Google has used its patents offensively? I don't.
- sasidharm 15y ago
  That's because they don't have any patents of their own to sue with. Before they acquired IBM's patents, they had a total of less than 800 patents.
  - Caballera 15y ago
    Exactly, funny how the android fan boys down ranked your comments.
- doe88 15y ago
  But what if Google had won the bid and was using these patents (they hadn't developed) defensively to defend against the fact they have violated patents developed by others companies, would it more fair? I don't think so.
  - Lewisham 15y ago
    No, but you can play "what if" games to death. You can't be slighted as being hypocritical for something you haven't done yet, which is what Gruber is claiming.
    - Pooter 15y ago
      Your point was that google hasn't sued anyone, which is pretty much a non sequitur without the assumption that this would've remained the case if they'd won the Nortel bidding. Which, really, is just a covert "what if" game.
    - Toady 15y ago
      Complaining about huge bids that are more than what these bogus patents are worth is pretty hypocritical if you yourself bid over $3 billion for them. I think Google is whining because they didn't win, and they know communities like this are anti-patent and will automatically side with them if they portray it a certain way. It's hypocritical to complain about the patent system and that competitors won patents you also wanted and were bidding on.

Gruber is no Google-lover, but in this case he is right on the money for calling out Google's hypocrisy. What if Google won the Nortel patents with their pi billion dollars bid?

joebadmo 15y ago

Then they would have unhypocrytically continued to use them only defensively. Can you explain exactly how Google is being hypocritical in this case?

sasidharm 15y ago
They are being hypocritical by saying that Apple and Msft bid many more times than what those patents are really worth, when Google itself bid upto 4 billion dollars. And what gaurantee does Google provide that they wouldn't sue competitors aggressively? Dont tell me its because their 'motto' is Dont be evil.
- icebraining 15y ago
  >And what gaurantee does Google provide that they wouldn't sue competitors aggressively? So they are hypocritical because of something they haven't done? By that logic, everyone is an hypocrite. Has Google ever actually sued competitors aggressively? Not that I know of.
- Rusky 15y ago
  The difference is that even if Google were to try to use those patents offensively against Apple and Microsoft, they probably wouldn't have much of an impact- Google's motivation was defensive, and they pretty much had to try for those patents. On the other hand, Apple and Microsoft are /already/ having an impact on Android and these patents would only strengthen them- their motivation was offensive and they were the ones who inflated the prices just to hurt Google.

yanw 15y ago

Then it would be perfectly fine, they would be able to stop Microsoft and its elk from extorting patent fees, but the whole issue lies in that the patent went to Microsoft and Apple and others like them for the sole purpose of extorting Android.

Lewisham 15y ago

Do you know of any case of where Google has used its patents offensively? I don't.

sasidharm 15y ago
That's because they don't have any patents of their own to sue with. Before they acquired IBM's patents, they had a total of less than 800 patents.
- Caballera 15y ago
  Exactly, funny how the android fan boys down ranked your comments.
doe88 15y ago
But what if Google had won the bid and was using these patents (they hadn't developed) defensively to defend against the fact they have violated patents developed by others companies, would it more fair? I don't think so.
- Lewisham 15y ago
  No, but you can play "what if" games to death. You can't be slighted as being hypocritical for something you haven't done yet, which is what Gruber is claiming.
  - Pooter 15y ago
    Your point was that google hasn't sued anyone, which is pretty much a non sequitur without the assumption that this would've remained the case if they'd won the Nortel bidding. Which, really, is just a covert "what if" game.
  - Toady 15y ago
    Complaining about huge bids that are more than what these bogus patents are worth is pretty hypocritical if you yourself bid over $3 billion for them. I think Google is whining because they didn't win, and they know communities like this are anti-patent and will automatically side with them if they portray it a certain way. It's hypocritical to complain about the patent system and that competitors won patents you also wanted and were bidding on.