Google goes after Apple via Motorola patents

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Grand Master

(Spork)

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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Motorola has filed with the International Trade Commission (that's the same one that blocked the HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE for a spell) to sue Apple over seven undisclosed patents. The patents relate to the iPhone, the iPad and the iPod touch, for which Motorola is seeking an import ban.

So far, the only official word from Motorola has been "We would like to settle these patent matters, but Apple's unwillingness to work out a license leaves us little choice but to defend ourselves and our engineers' innovations." Also pertinent to the case is the fact that the patents in question aren't standards-based, so Motorola does not have to license them. Based on the history of patent litigation involving Apple (and sometimes Motorola) it sounds like the status quo, right?

Not so fast.

We've seen Motorola go after folks in the courtroom before, with a mixed bag of results. I hated it then, but it was just one company fighting with another company over your money -- in other words, business as usual. But that was all initiated before Google took over the helm. Today's news is something different.

Don't be evil

Google has made "Don't be evil" its company tagline. For the most part, Google has held true to its word. Google finds itself in hot water every now and then, but there's no malicious intent behind its goals. Better mapping and new pictures for Street View are things they care about. Thinking about all the repercussions and people who have no idea how to secure a Wifi network probably wasn't even an afterthought. And the deal with using what they call a standard, while knowing Apple's Safari browser didn't recognize it as such, to place cookies can be written as some folks at Google thought the +1 button was so cool they wanted it to work anywhere. Stupid, yes. Evil? Well, I don't think so.

Again, this is different. Inside I've always been able to placate myself by thinking that throughout all this patent nonsense, Google has kept their hands clean. They've sued nobody, and fought hard for what they (and I) think is right. That all changed today. Since May, Google is directly responsible for the things Motorola do as a company, and the Motorola name in the middle is just a proxy. Yes, Google says Motorola will be run as a stand-alone venture, but ultimately they have the final word.

While you cheer and say Apple deserves a taste of their own medicine, I'll be here thinking of the people who might be saving to buy an iPad, only to (potentially) have the opportunity taken away -- by Google. That makes me sad, and seeing Android fans cheer in droves makes me even sadder. We pride ourselves on the choice Android and Google give us, so seeing them try to take away a fair choice is not something I can support. Don't be evil, Google. Even when the other kids on the playground are.

http://www.androidcentral.com/google-goes-after-apple-motorola-patents

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nekkidtruth

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I certainly get where you're coming from but, I don't think the fact that some person is "saving to buy an iPad" is reason enough to be disappointed in Google for slapping Apple with a taste of it's own medicine. To be perfectly frank, Apple DOES have it coming to them because they've been serious d-bags lately and it was only a matter of time. This goes beyond who's a fan of what and the reason for that is because Apple deliberately went for the jugular and successfully blocked "Little Johnny" from buying that Samsung tablet he had been saving up for. Or "Little Susan" finally had enough to go buy that Galaxy Nexus she worked overtime delivering papers for, only to find no one was selling them anymore because they had been banned.

Sounds a bit too hypocritical to me, sorry.

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SharpGreen

Posted
Posted

While you cheer and say Apple deserves a taste of their own medicine, I'll be here thinking of the people who might be saving to buy an iPad, only to (potentially) have the opportunity taken away -- by Google. That makes me sad, and seeing Android fans cheer in droves makes me even sadder. We pride ourselves on the choice Android and Google give us, so seeing them try to take away a fair choice is not something I can support. Don't be evil, Google. Even when the other kids on the playground are.

http://www.androidce...otorola-patents

The way I see it, Apple is doing the same thing, so if you can't support Google doing it then you should also be yelling at apple too. Unless you enjoy potentially being seen as a hypocrite.

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Grand Master

dead.cell

Posted
Posted

Doesn't that work both ways?

Exactly.

If people want to bitch at Apple about what they do, then I'm not sure why it's acceptable for Google to do it either. Giving them a "taste of their own medicine" using tactics you're supposed to be against is just silly, and does absolutely nothing for helping this flawed system. All it does is prove who in fact is actually a hypocrite in all this, wanting people to play fair, worrying about the "consumers"... Uh huh. :rolleyes:

The reality of it all is that all these folks seem to be doing is rooting for their favorite company like it's a football game, while they throw their feces at anyone who has a differing opinion.

1343024951141.gif

Mentor

evo_spook

Posted
Posted

Exactly.

If people want to bitch at Apple about what they do, then I'm not sure why it's acceptable for Google to do it either. Giving them a "taste of their own medicine" using tactics you're supposed to be against is just silly, and does absolutely nothing for helping this flawed system. All it does is prove who in fact is actually a hypocrite in all this, wanting people to play fair, worrying about the "consumers"... Uh huh. :rolleyes:

The reality of it all is that all these folks seem to be doing is rooting for their favorite company like it's a football game, while they throw their feces at anyone who has a differing opinion.

1343024951141.gif

The wierd thing is, people assumed this was started by Apple, but if they look back Nokia and Motorola actually sued first.

Grand Master

still1

Posted
Posted
Here is a quick rundown of the patents involved in this lawsuit:
  • 5,883,580: ?The ?580 Patent generally relates to messaging devices that process messages logically for a user in the context of space and time.? From the abstract: ?This invention relates in general to selective call messaging devices and more specifically to messaging devices that process messages logically for a user in the context of space and time .? The target here seems to be Apple?s location reminders and Motorola specifically argues that the iPhone 4 and 4S infringe upon this patent.
  • 5,922,047: ?The ?047 Patent generally relates to communications and control systems for multimedia.? From the abstract: ?In the preferred embodiment the multimedia control apparatus provides for control over a plurality of media applications including telephony, video conferencing, analog video, digital video, and AC power line signaling (for control over premise or subscriber equipment such as HVAC lighting security and entertainment).? Every iPhone and iPad currently in the market infringes upon this patent according to Motorola.
  • patent-us6425002-apparatus-and-method-for-handling-dispatching-messages-for-various-google-patents-1.jpg?w=300&h=2636,425,002: ?The ?002 Patent generally relates to communications devices that ensure applications installed therein only receive messages that are of interest.? From the abstract: ?A communications device with a processor having instructions that execute on the processor. The programmed instructions include a message manager program for accepting and dispatching messages, one or more application programs for handling and presenting messages; and one or more message client programs that receive messages from the message manager program and provides them to the application program. The message manager program accepts a registration from each message client program and sets rules, and message attributes to which the rules are to be applied for new messages.?
  • 6,983,370: ?The ?370 Patent generally relates to communication systems incorporating capabilities to provide continuity between messaging clients. More specifically, the ?370 Patent relates to the ability to sync the messaging capabilities of multiple devices.? Unsurprisingly, given that this patent is about syncing, Motorola alleges that every Apple device in the market right now, with the exception of the iPod line and Apple TV, infringes upon this patent.
  • 6,493,673: ?The ?673 Patent generally relates to communications devices that are capable of providing interactive services. The patent discloses, inter alia, providing prompt element including an announcement to be read to a user, and an input element that allows an audible user input to be converted into text string.? From the abstract: ?The present invention relates to a markup language document stored on a computer-readable medium to provide interactive services and methods thereof. The markup language comprises a dialog element and a step element. The dialog element includes markup language elements in which each markup language element is identifiable by one or more markup tags. The step element is contained within the dialog element and defines a state within the dialog element. The step element includes a prompt element, an input element, and a first attribute. The prompt element includes an announcement to be read to the user, and the input element includes an attribute to allow an audible user input to be converted to a text string.?
  • 7,007,064: ?The ?064 Patent generally relates to wireless communications systems for providing content to wireless communications devices. In particular, the ?064 Patent discloses, inter alia, an apparatus and method for obtaining and managing wirelessly communicated content.?patent-us7007064_graph.jpg?w=640
  • 7,383,983: ?The ?983 Patent generally relates to managing content between devices in various domains and, more particularly, to a system and method for pausing content in one device and resuming playback of the content in another device that may be in a different domain.?

http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/20/motorolas-new-patent-lawsuit-against-apple-the-details/

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