10 ms·

We all knew that the second someone started wielding their "defensive" patents the whole system was going to fall apart. Well...here we go I guess.

simcop2387 14y ago
Yep, someone decided that MAD was worth it or that they could win. It certainly looks like it's going to be a fun time for the lawyers and people with popcorn. So far we've got Apple suing Motorola, Motorola suing back. Apple suing Samsung, and now Google suing Apple. Any others I've missed?
- vasco 14y ago
  I guess in the end IBM would come into the room and shut everyone up.
  - sigkill 14y ago
    Honest question, why? Don't most of the phones run on ARM? Or did you imply something on the lines of PC (or the POWER architecture)? /clueless
    - option_greek 14y ago
      Go to any tech retail outlet, close your eyes and randomly touch any of the products they sell. I'm sure IBM has at least one patent covering it. The fact that they were here for a very long time and do a lot of pure science research means they are ahead of patent game than most. Here's one story about Sun shakedown in 80's http://www.osnews.com/story/24987/Microsoft_s_Android_Shakedown_IBM_Did_It_First http://www.osnews.com/story/24987/Microsoft_s_Android_Shaked...
- mdwrigh2 14y ago
  This is Motorola suing Apple again, for the record.
  - tedunangst 14y ago
    If Google owns Motorola, they could put a stop to this if they wanted to, no?
    - Mythbusters 14y ago
      and why would they? It's not that they vowed to do no evil or something.
      - ok_craig 14y ago
        "Don't be evil" doesn't mean sit back and get sued to oblivion by your competitors like a selfless martyr.
        barista 14y ago
        Don't be evil means use your patents as a defense not to sue others. It means amass a big enough trove that others feel that suing you is going to be futile. Evil is attacking the opponent with the new patents you just "bought" not even developed in-house
        mdwrigh2 14y ago
        > Don't be evil means use your patents as a defense not to sue others. It means amass a big enough trove that others feel that suing you is going to be futile. Well, when a company is suing all of the companies that use your software over your software, but don't come after you, what are you supposed to do to protect them? Because obviously the "trove" wasn't "big enough". > Evil is attacking the opponent with the new patents you just "bought" not even developed in-house So now companies aren't allowed to use the patents of the companies they've purchased? Should patents be invalidated once the original company is acquired? I'm against software patents in general, but to argue, under the existing system, that one of your subsidiary's shouldn't be allowed to use the patents they developed because you acquired them seems absurd.
        jemfinch 14y ago
- fellowniusmonk 14y ago
  Someone? I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this. - Steve Jobs
haldean 14y ago
The headline is incorrect; this is Motorola suing Apple, not Google, which has happened before (as the article states).
- Mythbusters 14y ago
  Right. Google and Motorola are too separate corporate entities.
  - barista 14y ago
    I presume this was a sarcasm here?
    - vetinari 14y ago
      It is factually right, they are separate entities. It's just that one entity is under significant influence of the other. Doesn't change the fact, that yes, they are separate.
- notatoad 14y ago
  (afaik) what makes this newsworthy is that this is the first lawsuit filed by motorola since it was purchased by google
- drgath 14y ago
  In a literal sense, you are correct. But don't ignore the fact that there had to be a group of lawyers and execs in a room at the GooglePlex that gave this move a green light. This is why Google bought Motorola.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
neurotech1 14y ago
Apple are suing Motorola(Google), so this lawsuit is just another part of the response directed back at Apple. It's not like Motorola just decided to go after another cellphone manufacturer for patent violations, as an offensive move.
- jsz0 14y ago
  They did actually. 2010, Oct 06: Motorola sues Apple over 18 patents, and files an ITC complaint against Apple over 6 of them. 2010, Oct 29: Apple sues Motorola over 6 patents, and files an ITC complaint against Motorola over 3 of them.
  - vibrunazo 14y ago
    Google only closed the Motorola acquisition in 2012.

simcop2387 14y ago

Yep, someone decided that MAD was worth it or that they could win. It certainly looks like it's going to be a fun time for the lawyers and people with popcorn. So far we've got Apple suing Motorola, Motorola suing back. Apple suing Samsung, and now Google suing Apple. Any others I've missed?

vasco 14y ago
I guess in the end IBM would come into the room and shut everyone up.
- sigkill 14y ago
  Honest question, why? Don't most of the phones run on ARM? Or did you imply something on the lines of PC (or the POWER architecture)? /clueless
  - option_greek 14y ago
    Go to any tech retail outlet, close your eyes and randomly touch any of the products they sell. I'm sure IBM has at least one patent covering it. The fact that they were here for a very long time and do a lot of pure science research means they are ahead of patent game than most. Here's one story about Sun shakedown in 80's http://www.osnews.com/story/24987/Microsoft_s_Android_Shakedown_IBM_Did_It_First http://www.osnews.com/story/24987/Microsoft_s_Android_Shaked...
mdwrigh2 14y ago
This is Motorola suing Apple again, for the record.
- tedunangst 14y ago
  If Google owns Motorola, they could put a stop to this if they wanted to, no?
  - Mythbusters 14y ago
    and why would they? It's not that they vowed to do no evil or something.
    - ok_craig 14y ago
      "Don't be evil" doesn't mean sit back and get sued to oblivion by your competitors like a selfless martyr.
      - barista 14y ago
        Don't be evil means use your patents as a defense not to sue others. It means amass a big enough trove that others feel that suing you is going to be futile. Evil is attacking the opponent with the new patents you just "bought" not even developed in-house
        mdwrigh2 14y ago
        > Don't be evil means use your patents as a defense not to sue others. It means amass a big enough trove that others feel that suing you is going to be futile. Well, when a company is suing all of the companies that use your software over your software, but don't come after you, what are you supposed to do to protect them? Because obviously the "trove" wasn't "big enough". > Evil is attacking the opponent with the new patents you just "bought" not even developed in-house So now companies aren't allowed to use the patents of the companies they've purchased? Should patents be invalidated once the original company is acquired? I'm against software patents in general, but to argue, under the existing system, that one of your subsidiary's shouldn't be allowed to use the patents they developed because you acquired them seems absurd.
        jemfinch 14y ago
fellowniusmonk 14y ago
Someone? I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this. - Steve Jobs

haldean 14y ago

The headline is incorrect; this is Motorola suing Apple, not Google, which has happened before (as the article states).

Mythbusters 14y ago
Right. Google and Motorola are too separate corporate entities.
- barista 14y ago
  I presume this was a sarcasm here?
  - vetinari 14y ago
    It is factually right, they are separate entities. It's just that one entity is under significant influence of the other. Doesn't change the fact, that yes, they are separate.
notatoad 14y ago
(afaik) what makes this newsworthy is that this is the first lawsuit filed by motorola since it was purchased by google
drgath 14y ago
In a literal sense, you are correct. But don't ignore the fact that there had to be a group of lawyers and execs in a room at the GooglePlex that gave this move a green light. This is why Google bought Motorola.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

neurotech1 14y ago

Apple are suing Motorola(Google), so this lawsuit is just another part of the response directed back at Apple. It's not like Motorola just decided to go after another cellphone manufacturer for patent violations, as an offensive move.

jsz0 14y ago
They did actually. 2010, Oct 06: Motorola sues Apple over 18 patents, and files an ITC complaint against Apple over 6 of them. 2010, Oct 29: Apple sues Motorola over 6 patents, and files an ITC complaint against Motorola over 3 of them.
- vibrunazo 14y ago
  Google only closed the Motorola acquisition in 2012.