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Google's ready to fight off lawsuits by purchasing patents to protect Android  (Source: appsaffair.com)
Google says it must buy these patents to protect itself in a "hostile" and "organized campaign" ran by tech giants like Microsoft and Apple

Mobile lawsuits have been flinging back and forth through much of 2011, whether its Apple attacking Samsung repeatedly for its Android-powered Galaxy Tab 10.1 and smartphones, or Samsung fighting back with a 3G lawsuit against Apple. Apple even slammed Amazon with a lawsuit because its Android Appstore had a name much too similar to Apple's "App Store."

With so many patent lawsuits being thrown around recently, Google, maker of the Android operating system, bought over 1,000 patents in order to protect itself.

Jim Prosser, a spokesman for Google, confirmed this week that Google bought 1,023 patents from International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) on August 17, according to Bloomberg. Prosser, however, did not offer details on financial terms. 

Google recently bought 1,030 patents from IBM in July as well, and will likely obtain over 17,000 more patents with the $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility. Last month, Google even transferred nine patents it bought from Motorola Mobility and Openwave Systems to Android-powered handset maker HTC to aid in the lawsuit fight.

According to Google, it must buy these patents to protect itself in a "hostile" and "organized campaign" ran by tech giants like Microsoft and Apple. 

The free, open source Android operating system relies on some non-proprietary features that Google did not make, allowing users/developers to manipulate the code. This system allows for lawsuits from others who claim that Android was built "on the backs of research done by other technology companies."

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By Joz on 9/15/2011 10:40:15 AM , Rating: 3
"Won the battle we have, but begin that Patent War has."

"The Dark Lords of the Apple have thrown a shroud [of trolling] over the force-marketplace."




By Mitch101 on 9/15/2011 10:54:13 AM , Rating: 2
Glad to see Google learn how to play by purchasing a patent portfolio instead of crying foul.

Android is temporary one after you own an Android for a while you realize its a lot of hype the OS needs a lot of maturity. Bigger Faster CPU's don't fix the problems with the Android OS. I really like it I just don't see the need of every 3 months needing more CPU. Its like having a Quad core SLI config and all the apps are Wordpad level needing only a fraction of the CPU offered. I love the openness of Android but Im frustrated that every month my wife tells me her Android phone locked up or black screened again. She has ZERO apps downloaded and installed this is the Android right from the carrier so its not something side loaded or installed causing issues its at the heart of the device. Still she likes it very much but Android is a lot of hype.

Still better to be Android over Apphole arrogance. iPhone 5 now with more Yawn.


By Granseth on 9/15/2011 11:08:51 AM , Rating: 3
I think the makers of cheap android phones has a lot of fault for the problems.
I had the optimus p500 (LG) for a while, until I couldn't take the trouble that phone was giving me (battery, strange downloads and other hiccups).
Today I have the more expensive Nexus S (had it since spring), and have seen none of the earlier problems.
So I have a feeling that the skins and poor drivers has a lot of the fault with Android being an unstable OS.


By xSauronx on 9/15/2011 11:12:45 AM , Rating: 2
I dont have stability issues with either of my android devices (an htc desire on 2.2 and a nook color on 2.3), but I do with there was some better integration and consistency as a whole across the os/interface/google services


By Spuke on 9/15/2011 12:54:31 PM , Rating: 2
I don't any issues with my HTC Incredible. Works great. And now with the recent 2.3.4 update I got, it's MUCH faster to boot.


By Mitch101 on 9/15/2011 4:15:13 PM , Rating: 1
MUCH faster to boot" - LOL.

That's the problem is having to reboot the darn Androids they aren't stable. I haven't had to reboot the Windows Phone 7 once. Android needs to get there instead of releasing new OS's pick one and make it rock stable.


By JohnWPB on 9/15/2011 6:46:50 PM , Rating: 2
Spuke made no mention of having to "reboot". The comment he made was it was much faster after the update to "boot". Two different situations.


By Mitch101 on 9/16/2011 9:46:57 AM , Rating: 2
I have a nook color boot and reboot are the same thing.


By JB1592 on 9/18/2011 12:40:53 PM , Rating: 2
No... you're missing the point.

Idiom:
to boot
In addition; besides: Not only was the new cruise ship the biggest in the world, but the fastest to boot.

Taken in the correct context, the common phrase, "to boot," has nothing to do with an electronic device's start up time.


By cjc1103 on 9/19/2011 9:17:52 AM , Rating: 2
The carriers do extensive tests before releasing a phone/OS combination. If your Android phone locks up continually with no apps downloaded, that might be a hardware issue, I'd complain to the carrier, and get a replacement phone. Yes every new version of Android seems to need more phone horsepower, but most people don't upgrade to a new version of Android and so it doesn't matter. I have a new Droid Bionic (1 Ghz dual core) with Android 2.3.4, and it flies, it's never crashed or locked up yet, very stable, and I have about 20 apps installed. Web pages load fast on 4G, no more wait than you would have on your PC. I love it. Also I couldn't wait for iPhone 5 (with no 4G capability). YMMV.


By WldAntc on 9/15/2011 2:31:28 PM , Rating: 2
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." -Yamamoto
Wait, on second thought this quote doesn't apply. Even war crazed Imperial Japan, tried to awaken only one giant...

Really Apple? A patent war with Samsung and Google?
Let's see... shiny overpriced toymaker vs Asia's version of GE and a bit less non-evil Google...
Yeh, enjoy your two-front patent war with the giants.


By cjc1103 on 9/19/2011 9:23:49 AM , Rating: 2
yeah, and Joe Phoneuser gets to pay for all this corporate backstabbing through higher prices for phones and cell service. $299 for a new phone with a two year contract? Ouch. What really bugs me is you don't get a discount if your phone is paid for and "unlocked". So you might as well upgrade your phone every two years, you're paying for it, in facvt the carriers are counting on it, that's their business model. I like the way they do it in Europe, buy a phone, then choose a carrier. Don't like you current carrier? Choose another one and switch. Yay, competition.


So....
By Chadder007 on 9/15/2011 11:09:00 AM , Rating: 5
Did IBM also have a patent on black rectangles?




RE: So....
By Omega215D on 9/15/2011 11:18:09 AM , Rating: 2
well, wasn't their Thinkpad lineup based on the black rectangle and square?


RE: So....
By Motoman on 9/15/2011 11:21:54 AM , Rating: 2
Everything in the f&cking tech world is a black rectangle.

Look at any laptop. Any phone. Any MP3 player. Any monitor.

Apple well and truly is the world's greatest troll.


RE: So....
By Omega215D on 9/15/2011 11:40:25 AM , Rating: 2
Engadget and Phone Arena are becoming havens for them. Shame that those sites are usually quick on releasing info on upcoming products.

I dug out my old iRiver Clix 2 and it does have a tablet look to it and my Palm T|X does look like a smartphone... not surprising since Palm did make popular smartphones at one point.


RE: So....
By Darksurf on 9/19/2011 11:27:39 AM , Rating: 2
This just in! Apple is suing Chiquita Bananas for use a fruit logo while Apple has a patent on all fruit logos!

The company's reply was "take the banana and shove it *censored* !"

Lawsuit now in court.


RE: So....
By Solandri on 9/15/2011 4:59:26 PM , Rating: 2
Looking at Anandtech's preview of upcoming Windows 8 tablets, it looks like every single one of them would be banned in Germany under the current ruling against Samsung. I actually feel bad for Germans, as that ruling is going to turn them into a technological backwater. It's like someone getting a design patent on the clipboard back in the early 1900s when business transitioned from blue collar to white collar.

Still, comparing Germany to the rest of the world in 3 years (assuming the ruling stands) will provide ample evidence that stupid patents thwart innovation, not encourage it. Hopefully that'll lead to some real IP law reform.


waste
By OS on 9/15/2011 11:12:05 AM , Rating: 5
the entire patent war is a tremendous waste of capital




RE: waste
By bigkah624 on 9/15/2011 12:38:43 PM , Rating: 2
Good time to be a lawyer. You get paid whichever side you're on.


RE: waste
By Fracture on 9/15/2011 1:56:55 PM , Rating: 2
Software patents in general cause a tremendous waste in capital, restrict innovation, and are nothing more than a mental exercise put onto paper.

Invalidate all software patents and you solve the problem.


By larkforsure on 9/15/2011 1:52:24 PM , Rating: 2

Tragedy of Labor Rights Repression in IBM China
http://larkforsure.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/xinhua...

Scandal stricken IBM detained mother of ex-employee on the day of centennial
http://larkforsure.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/tencen...




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