Google Acquires More Patents from IBM in Shopping Spree to Defend Android

  • Google has purchased another 1,023 patents from IBM as part of what Digital Trends describes as Google’s Android defense strategy against smartphone lawsuits from Apple and other companies.
  • The article indicates that the transfers were recorded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week, and reminds us that Google also acquired 1,030 IBM patents in July and picked up 17,000 additional patents in its recent acquisition of Motorola.
  • “Indicative of how the patents are being put to use,” reports Digital Trends, “Google recently sold a batch of newly acquired patents to HTC — including some formerly owned by Motorola — in order to allow HTC to sue Apple.”
  • “Google is building an arsenal of patents that the company has said is largely designed to counter a ‘hostile, organized campaign’ by companies including Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. against the Android operating system for mobile devices,” adds Bloomberg.

4 Comments

  1. If companies are people…
    What are patents now…

  2. Indeed, George. Patents have become the nuclear weapons. It is very concerning to think about what this cold war will do to stymie innovation, especially by start-ups who don’t have the resources to even do the legal work on how to thread the eyes of the needles that are lining up like croquet.

  3. If companies are people…
    What are patents now…

  4. Indeed, George. Patents have become the nuclear weapons. It is very concerning to think about what this cold war will do to stymie innovation, especially by start-ups who don’t have the resources to even do the legal work on how to thread the eyes of the needles that are lining up like croquet.

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