Seems a very strange move.
unwiredview said:
As you have probably heard, a major patent war is raging in mobile industry, and competitors are ganging up on Android, exploiting Google’s weakness in intellectual property assets. Mostly by suing manufacturers of Android devices for various patent infringements. If Google loses in this fight, Android vendors might have to pay $60 per device in patent fees eventually. It’s no wonder many people are worried about Android right now.
Amidst this Android patent insecurity, Motorola recently started touting the strength of its IP portfolio. Nothing surprising here. Motorola is one of the oldest players, with one of the strongest patent portfolios in the industry. Heck, they invented the mobile phone and have been at it for decades. If other mobile industry players decide to go after Motorola’s Android devices, Moto has a lot of patents to retaliate with.
However, things made a turn for the worse few weeks ago. During its Q2 earnings conference call Motorola hinted that it is ready to join Android patent racket, and start demanding licensing fees for its IP from other Android manufacturers.
This week Motorola’s CEO Sanjay Jha reiterated this message, and made it even more clear – they do indeed have plans to start collecting IP royalties from other Android makers
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Click to collapse
http://www.unwiredview.com/2011/08/...ollect-ip-royalties-from-other-android-makers
Another excellent reason to avoid Moto products. You'd think they would be hitting back, not jumping on the bandwagon.
Dirty pool Moto.
I doubt google will standby and let one of their licensees attack the rest.
LOL... They should focus their strong patent pool on the largest threat (Apple). Not that I encourage this behavior from any company, but they (Android manufacturers) should be banding together right now to take down Apple, as it's not each other they have to fear.
I hope some of these greedy companies go bankrupt ...
Tone_ said:
I doubt google will standby and let one of their licensees attack the rest.
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Click to collapse
Right... by buying Motorola. No biggy.
What now
That will be interesting with the new possible Google acquisition.
moot point with the google acquisition in hand
By Susan Decker - Dec 19, 2011 3:46 PM GMT-0800
Apple Inc. (AAPL) won a patent-infringement ruling that bans some HTC Corp. (2498) smartphones from the U.S. starting next year, bolstering efforts to prove that devices running Google Inc.’s Android operating system copy the iPhone.
The U.S. International Trade Commission, in a review of a judge’s findings in July, said yesterday that HTC is violating one Apple patent related to data-detection technology and issued a limited import exclusion order that takes effect April 19.
“HTC will completely remove it from all of our phones soon,” Grace Lei, general counsel for Taoyuan, Taiwan-based HTC, said in an e-mail. The six-member commission determined that three other patents in the case weren’t infringed.
While less than what Apple sought, the ruling gives the company its first victory in patent cases designed to slow the growth of Android, which former Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs claimed “ripped off the iPhone.” Apple has one other case against HTC, as well as complaints against Samsung Electronics Co. and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., and is involved in more than a dozen other cases before the trade commission.
“The battle between Apple and Android is going to continue,” said Peter Toren, a patent lawyer with Shulman Rogers in Potomac, Maryland, who has been watching the cases. “I’m not sure this decision, the way it is, is enough to push the parties to settlement. Apple doesn’t have the leverage of a total exclusionary order.”
Nexus One
The list of affected products and a full reason for the commission’s decision, which is subject to appeal and a presidential review, wasn’t immediately made public. Apple’s original complaint named HTC’s Nexus One, Touch Pro, Diamond, Tilt II, Dream, myTouch, Hero and Droid Eris.
Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California- based Apple, declined to discuss the possibility of a settlement. She repeated the company’s position that “competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology.”
Representatives from Google had no immediate comment.
The ruling is the first definitive decision in the dozens of patent cases that began to proliferate in 2010 as smartphone makers battle over a market that Strategy Analytics Inc. said increased 44 percent last quarter from a year earlier to 117 million phones worldwide. HTC, the second-largest maker of Android phones, used its partnership with Google to help transform itself from a contract manufacturer founded in 1997 to the biggest U.S. smartphone seller in the third quarter.
HTC Sales
HTC generated about $5 billion in U.S. sales last year, according to a separate patent complaint it filed at the trade agency against Apple. That’s more than half of HTC’s $9 billion (NT$275 billion) in global sales last year.
The commission’s order applies to new phone imports and doesn’t force HTC to pull existing devices off U.S. store shelves. The company can import refurbished phones to fulfill warranties or insurance contracts through Dec. 19, 2013.
“This exemption does not permit HTC to call new devices ‘refurbished’ and to import them as replacements,” the commission said.
Apple’s so-called ’647 patent covered a feature in which the phone recognizes a telephone number so it can be stored in directories or called without dialing.
“The ’647 patent is a small user interface experience,” Lei said. The company is pleased with the commission’s overall decision, and “we respect it.”
IPhone 4s, Galaxy
HTC phones accounted for 24 percent of the U.S. smartphone market in the third quarter, based on shipments, Palo Alto, California-based researcher Canalys reported Oct. 31. Samsung held 21 percent of the market, and Apple 20 percent. The market is volatile, and the Apple iPhone 4s that went on sale in October and Samsung’s newest Galaxy phone are likely to change the rankings for the fourth quarter.
Apple contended in its complaint that the HTC phones infringed four patents. Administrative Law Judge Carl Charneski in July sided with Apple for two of the patents: the data- detection one and the other covering the transmission of multiple types of data. The commission overturned the judge’s findings on that patent, and affirmed his determination that the remaining two patents weren’t infringed, which covered ways software programs are written and executed.
The commission, a quasi-judicial arbiter of trade disputes with the power to block products that infringe U.S. patents, chose in September to review Charneski’s findings.
‘Destroy Android’
Apple has a second complaint pending before the commission that claims other HTC smartphones and Flyer tablet computers infringe five patents related to software architecture and user interfaces. Apple also has cases before the trade commission and in district courts against Samsung and Motorola Mobility, which Google agreed to acquire in August.
The fight can be traced back to a decision by Jobs in March 2010 to file the HTC case, the first patent complaint by a device maker targeting Google’s Android operating system. Jobs, who died Oct. 5, made it his mission “to destroy Android,” which he said “ripped off the iPhone, wholesale,” according to Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Apple founder.
HTC has retaliated with two trade commission cases against Apple, one submitted last year and one in August. HTC lost a preliminary ruling by a judge in the case filed last year, a decision that the commission is now reviewing. The other case has yet to be decided. S3 Graphics Co., a company HTC agreed to buy in July, also has two commission cases against Apple, one of which Apple won last month.
Mobile Advertising
Google, which hasn’t been named in any of the Apple cases, denies copying the iPhone and said in a filing that Apple is trying to control the U.S. smartphone market through litigation.
HTC’s Android devices “are helping prevent Apple’s iOS from becoming the sole viable mobile platform and thus ‘locking in’ consumers and software developers to that platform,” Google said in the Oct. 6 filing.
Google’s Android accounts for about 70 percent of the smartphone operating systems used in the U.S., according to Canalys. Mountain View, California-based Google licenses Android to handset makers for free as a way to further its business of selling display and search advertising on mobile devices.
Google’s share of this year’s estimated $2.1 billion U.S. mobile-ad market will expand to 24 percent from 19 percent in 2010, Framingham, Massachusetts-based researcher IDC said Dec. 13. Millennial Media Inc.’s slice may climb to 17 percent from 15 percent, and Apple’s will decline to 15 percent from 19 percent.
The case is In the Matter of Certain Personal Data and Mobile Communications Devices and Related Software, 337-710, U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).
This is hardly a win for Apple if you look at the facts of the case:
- Only android 1.6 - 2.2 devices are affected
- HTC has already stated they will be working around this to remove the infringing item from their phones
- Out of an initial ten patent violations alleged by Apple, the ruling has been in Apple's favour 'only partially' for one patent.
Yes it is extra work for HTC but not the nightmares that were painted in the press. And *it does not effect new devices*
I first read about it here:
http://gizmodo.com/5869507/htc-android-phones-are-being-banned-from-the-us-next-year
droidwizzo said:
This is hardly a win for Apple if you look at the facts of the case:
- Only android 1.6 - 2.2 devices are affected
- HTC has already stated they will be working around this to remove the infringing item from their phones
- Out of an initial ten patent violations alleged by Apple, the ruling has been in Apple's favour 'only partially' for one patent.
Yes it is extra work for HTC but not the nightmares that were painted in the press. And *it does not effect new devices*
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Good!
I know it's a long shot, but I do hope this shallow victory deters Apple from trying to use patents as a weapon. Why can they just go back to innovating things and beating the competition through trying to be better?
Sigh, I miss Y2K-era Apple...
nak1017 said:
Good!
I know it's a long shot, but I do hope this shallow victory deters Apple from trying to use patents as a weapon. Why can they just go back to innovating things and beating the competition through trying to be better?
Sigh, I miss Y2K-era Apple...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do many sectors of industry fight against knock-off and copies? Answer that and you'll have the answer you seek.
Apple sauce is slimey and another big brother corporation!
MartyLK said:
Why do many sectors of industry fight against knock-off and copies? Answer that and you'll have the answer you seek.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
evrey 1 copy appul. herp derp. appul invent smartpone and mp3 player. Herp a derp.
Things apple copied:
fruit
Phones
3G
Bluetooth (Although they made it semi-unique by crippling it)
Mobile operating systems
Microsoft
Lies (especially in advertising)
Steve Jobses DNA
Android
Shops
1 gig processor
fanbois
Samsung (They get samsung to sopy their own stuff for them)
LG
LG Prada
Trolls
Reality distortion field
Themselves
Ubuntu
The linux penguin. (He was cool long before apple)
coolness (Other, mainly only percieved by other apple fans)
Delusion
Windows
Satan
Obviousness (once again especially in advertising, "Herp - If you don't own a eye pad well you dont own an eye pad -derp"
All of these companies are taking losses with this whole patent war
hungry81 said:
evrey 1 copy appul. herp derp. appul invent smartpone and mp3 player. Herp a derp.
Things apple copied:
fruit
Phones
3G
Bluetooth (Although they made it semi-unique by crippling it)
Mobile operating systems
Microsoft
Lies (especially in advertising)
Steve Jobses DNA
Android
Shops
1 gig processor
fanbois
Samsung (They get samsung to sopy their own stuff for them)
LG
LG Prada
Trolls
Reality distortion field
Themselves
Ubuntu
The linux penguin. (He was cool long before apple)
coolness (Other, mainly only percieved by other apple fans)
Delusion
Windows
Satan
Obviousness (once again especially in advertising, "Herp - If you don't own a eye pad well you dont own an eye pad -derp"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROFL.... Hahhahahahaaa. I love this post, although I'm not in complete agreement with that.
Steve Jobs made it his "MISSION" to destroy Android... Whoa! Either that's a statement made by the media, or Late Mr. Jobs was an arrogant dummy. Methinks it'll turn out to become... MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE.
theultimate1 said:
Steve Jobs made it his "MISSION" to destroy Android... Whoa! Either that's a statement made by the media, or Late Mr. Jobs was an arrogant dummy. Methinks it'll turn out to become... MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, the man seemed to be filled with a lot of hate near the end there so I kind of believe it's something he would say... I don't think he was a dummy, but it is sortof sad.
You know everyone's making a huge deal about this when it only covers 1.6-2.2 do you know any device on the market that sells with 2.2 on it everything's on 2.3 even the cheap budget phones
LOL exactly
if i were managing HTC, i'll simply pull those outdated phones off the shelf and replace them with another dozen of low budget HTC phones on 2.3 or 4.0 as they always like to do
it'll cost them less, than spending man hours and pushing a new ROM and convince people to use the new ROM with the replaced apps
and we all know older 1.6 phones wont be able to use any updated OS, so it'll pointless
it seems now Apple want to be the top brand of smart phone and for that they have to beat rivals like android etc because they know that some HTC phones are much better than the iPhone and just want to get rid of every smart phone maker by using court
I kinda have mixed feelings here. I hate Apple with a passion. I also hate HTC because their from from way back in the day sucked. I guess the lawyers/judge were all Apple sheep with their iphones and what not. lol
I know its not a "big" win, but in the law world it is a win and helps Apple set some precedence in any other patents cases. Apple, why you no like competition?
Well, even if Apple did won, it's not that big of a victory from what I see. In fact, HTC has already made a workaround according to cnet: http://cnet.co/sC3XnE. I'm thinking HTC has foreseen this and created one before hand just in case.
Not that hard to work around. And well, why are they afraid of competition? Because as soon as Apple sheep see a CHEAPER, and BETTER device that is just as dumbafied for them, they'll surely jump on a new bandwagon. For a corp that feeds solely offa those people, I'd be scared of losing them too.
A P P L E=Assholes Placing Patent Lawsuits Everywhere.
Someone needs to stop this madness!
sooyong94 said:
A P P L E=Assholes Placing Patent Lawsuits Everywhere.
Someone needs to stop this madness!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh man, I really like that!
sooyong94 said:
A P P L E=Assholes Placing Patent Lawsuits Everywhere.
Someone needs to stop this madness!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like that. Someone make a t-shirt out of it so I can where that at the Apple store!
Anyways, this is one of the many reasons why I don't like Apple. I like to say they are arrogant but it's not due to their products or pricing, but due to how they rather use patents to kill healthy competitors instead of thinking up newer and better ideas for their products. They rather kill and destroy innovation rather than allowing others to embrace it. If Apple keeps this up, the mobile market could might as well stay stagnant.
The last vestiges of Palm have left HP, as All Things D and multiple other sources have confirmed in the last hour that the former Palm CEO and technical mastermind behind webOS has officially left HP after serving his initial commitment of 12-24 months following the acquisition by HP in 2010 after struggles in the marketplace forced Palm to seek a buyer.
Jon Rubenstein became head of Palm in 2008 following years of losses and false starts for the hardware manufacturer as it struggled to maintain marketshare in a marketplace dominated by the iPhone and facing the threat of Android. Under Rubenstein, Palm set out to compete head on against the iPhone by completely killing any association with GarnetOS and starting from scratch with the Linux-based webOS operating system. At the time of the operating system’s debut during CES 2009, it was hailed as a remarkable alternative to both Android and iOS.
Released in June of that year, the Palm Pre was backed by an exclusivity agreement with Sprint along with an equally massive marketing campaign which ultimately stumbled in terms of showcasing both the Pre and operating system, as most of the coverage was focused on the commercials themselves, which featured a rendered model of a woman that confused and frightened more people than sold the phone.
While the Pre did well initially, sales quickly dwindled to the point that Sprint was forced to endure months of slow sales before Palm was forced to seek other carrier partners in order to shore up hardware sales. Following launches on AT&T and Verizon with Wi-Fi enabled Pre variants in 2010, Palm were still struggling to make webOS successful in an increasingly crowded marketplace despite the critical acclaim of the operating system, to the point that the company was increasingly seeking to sell itself.
After months of rumors and speculation, Palm was purchased by HP in the summer of 2010 for 1.2 billion with the goals of having the resources necessary to further refine and develop the operating system, with an eye to expanding its presence beyond mobile devices, such as HP computers and printers. By 2011, the operating system and hardware was near moribund, with the only new product being the stillborn Pre 2 on Verizon Wireless since the acquisition.
The company seemed to be on an upswing in March with the announcements of the Pre 3, Veer 4G and TouchPad, which were meant to anchor the operating system with new hardware, but the announcements did little more than excite dedicated enthusiasts while leaving others indifferent.
Jon did not specify what his future plans were at the time of departure.
He'll probably jump on with one of the big tech companies.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt thinks that Android activations could top a billion by next year, as the operating system continues to reign over more than half of the mobile marketplace.
"We just announced 1.3 million activations of Android phones per day globally - per day," he underlined during a recent interview with AllThingsD.
That's with more than half a billion Android devices already activated globally.
"Do a little math with me," Schmidt asked. "If you're at 1.3 [million activations per day], times 365 [days a year], and of course that number doubling every six months or something like this."
"This is well more than a billion devices globally perhaps within a year."
Android vs Apple defining platform fightSchmidt defined what 1 billion Android activations means in his company's constant tug-of-war with Apple.
"I believe that the Android-Apple platform fight is the defining fight in the industry today," Schmidt said, before noting Android's progress. "And I didn't say that two years ago."
As with any good fight, there's always a little smack talk and a good backhanded compliment.
"[Apple's has] an enormously large platform for developers, knowledge, cloud services, scale, and so forth." Schmidt went on to laud how many talented engineers Apple has, along with his rival's apps, content, and partnerships.
But that just set him up to say, "The Google platform, Android, is even larger."
"Surveys that we've seen of unit volume indicate that there are four times as many Android phones as there are iPhones."
We're all winners in the eyes of SchmidtGoogle's scale has translated into a higher marketshare, with Android at 52.2 percent of active devices and Apple accounting for 33.4 percent, according to pre-iPhone 5 numbers.
But the former CEO of Google, which is now the second most valuable tech company behind Apple, said that the real winners are consumers.
"We have not seen in our industry platform-network fights of this scale."
With lower-cost devices and more innovative hardware teased by the Google chairman, Schmidt concluded, "And I go back to who's the beneficiary. And the beneficiary is you all - globally."
Very interesting! I definitely don't see how someone would pick iOS over Android. I hope android continues to grow.
that would be a challenge for Apple but I guess Android will take over the world))