KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
Regular readers of Kitguru will already be aware that Google passed over some patents to HTC recently, in a case to help them fight against Apple. The latest news to reach us is that Google have taken over a thousand patents from IBM.
The reason for this is similar to the above, many believe that they are strengthening their defense against competitors such as Apple – who are on the rampage lately. The 1,023 patents which were passed over have been listed by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
No financial information has been listed and recently CEO Larry Page said that they would rather concentrate on developing their own patents, rather than buying others. That said, this purchase from IBM shows that they want a strong foundation to move forward with.
Apple have targeted some companies who use Android as a platform and there are currently many lawsuits in action across the globe. Google chairman Eric Schmidt has said before that the lawsuits have been inspired by jealousy due to the organisations overall success in the industry.
Kitguru says: Building fortifications is a good way to move forward.
Cold War between the Android Coalition and Apple?
Google spending billions on patents is coming at a cost to Android, one way or another. This likely means that the company is going to have monetize its investment sooner rather than later. I am really starting to understand the comments from iFans that Android really is not free. Between the licensing fees to Microsoft, potentially Apple, and the cost of patents, Android is costing plenty. It just has been hidden from the consumer so far. I predict that won’t last forever and the consumer will have to pay one way or another.