Google: Patently Absurd • Hacker News Board

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#101

Post by MikeCapone » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:04 AM UTC

doe88 wrote: post #36

Lewisham wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know of any case of where Google has used its patents offensively? I don't.

But what if Google had won the bid and was using these patents (they hadn't developed) defensively to defend against the fact they have violated patents developed by others companies, would it more fair? I don't think so.

The problem is, everybody infringes countless software patents because the system is broken. What matters is how you play the game from that starting point. Google wants to be able to defend itself, while others seem to want to gang up on Google and attack it.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#102

Post by kelnos » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:04 AM UTC

pkamb wrote: post #10

cheald wrote: post #5

I'm not sure how to say this without coming across as incendiary, but what the hell? Is Gruber utterly oblivious to the horrible state of software patents and their abuses? Is he actually condoning the abominable software patents that every other sane developer despises? Yes, Google is trying to ward off being picked to death by a myriad of utterly worthless (in the market, not legal sense) patents. Yes, Google is li…

"No one other than Nathan Myrvold and his cronies sees the U.S. patent system as functioning properly, but Google’s hypocrisy here is absurd. Google isn’t arguing against a handful of never-should-have-been-issued software patents. They’re not arguing against patent trolls like Myrvold and his shell companies like Lodsys — companies that have no products of their own, no actual inventions, just patents for ideas for…

The issue here is that Gruber seems to believe that Myrvold is the only person with junk patents, and the only person abusing the patent system. Of course his beautiful saintly Apple couldn't be doing the same! No, no, of course not. It's just that Apple actually builds stuff, so we give them some respect.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#103

Post by Caballera » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:08 AM UTC

Lewisham wrote: post #29

sasidharm wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gruber is no Google-lover, but in this case he is right on the money for calling out Google's hypocrisy. What if Google won the Nortel patents with their pi billion dollars bid?

Do you know of any case of where Google has used its patents offensively? I don't.

So what? Google is a relatively new company. To say they would spend all that money on patents and then not attempt to enforce them is very naive.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#104

Post by Caballera » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:10 AM UTC

sasidharm wrote: post #34

Lewisham wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know of any case of where Google has used its patents offensively? I don't.

That's because they don't have any patents of their own to sue with. Before they acquired IBM's patents, they had a total of less than 800 patents.

Exactly, funny how the android fan boys down ranked your comments.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#105

Post by Caballera » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:12 AM UTC

blinkingled wrote: post #60

tomerico wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The implication is that these are legitimate, unassailable patents that Google has ripped off in some nefarious scheme to steal Apple's good ol' homegrown American hard work I would argue that android "borrowed" a lot from Apple, and that the iPhone was truly innovative in many ways. The question whether they copied too much , or whether Apple's idea were innovative in the first place is what the Patent system is try…

I don't think you can mention Android borrowing from iPhone while ignoring that iPhone borrows from Android too - iOS 5 notifications being the prime example. All complicated systems borrow from each other - there is nothing evil about it - it's just evolution.

Can you show us the patents Google has on notifications?

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#106

Post by Caballera » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:19 AM UTC

Steko wrote: post #67

"anti-Google", "disingenuous", "deep dishonesty", "willfully dishonest". "very twisted", "oblivious", "shill", "clown" The Engadgetization of HN comments is nearly complete. Get off your high horses, Gruber is exactly right that this screed by Google's counsel is incredibly hypocritical. Regardless of what you think about patents, Google, Apple, etc. the following argument is total bullshit: Group A has a right to bi…

You're right.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#107

Post by Caballera » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:20 AM UTC

tonetheman wrote: post #6

Does anyone else feel like the apple shill is worried that his precious is losing to android? haha... software patents suck... it is bad for apple and google and any other tech company.

Yes, because with 5.6% of the market share and 56% of the profits Apple is hurting.. lol Get real, Google can only hope to make that amount of money on Android.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#108

Post by gaulinmp » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:24 AM UTC

kljensen wrote: post #68

Lewisham wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know of any case of where Google has used its patents offensively? I don't.

Here are all the patent cases in which Google was a plaintiff. They appear to all be declaratory judgments against NPE defendants. 4:2004-cv-04922 Google Inc. v. Skyline Software Systems Inc. 5:2005-md-01654 In re Compression Labs, Inc., Patent Litigation 5:2004-cv-03934 Google Inc. v. Compression Labs Inc et al 4:2008-cv-04144 Google Inc. v. Netlist, Inc. 3:2009-cv-00642 Google Inc. v. Traffic Information LLC 1:2011…

Sidebar question: how did you find these? I'm researching a related topic and need to perform bulk searches for patent related litigation data. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#109

Post by Lewisham » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:27 AM UTC

Caballera wrote: post #103

Lewisham wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know of any case of where Google has used its patents offensively? I don't.

So what? Google is a relatively new company. To say they would spend all that money on patents and then not attempt to enforce them is very naive.

Sun Microsystems did exactly what you are saying, and Google has gone on record, multiple times, saying it would do exactly what you are saying.

It is not without precedent at all.

Re: Google: Patently Absurd

#110

Post by shabble » Thu, Aug 04, 2011, 2:37 AM UTC

cheald wrote: post #5

I'm not sure how to say this without coming across as incendiary, but what the hell? Is Gruber utterly oblivious to the horrible state of software patents and their abuses? Is he actually condoning the abominable software patents that every other sane developer despises? Yes, Google is trying to ward off being picked to death by a myriad of utterly worthless (in the market, not legal sense) patents. Yes, Google is li…

I'll give a cookie to the first person to find me a patent that Markdown infringes :p