Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
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Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#2I'm glad Google finally just came out and said it, rather than trying to say, what they said previously, which was that MS and Apple were trying to keep the patents from them. A tip for Google, the truth works better, even if it requires a few more sentences to tell it.
On the actual merits though, Google seems to be completely lost in the world of IP tactics. They should have worked to remove all of these patents off the table as cheaply as possible. The available cash that MS+Apple simply dwarfs what Google has. Head to head, if MS+Apple want the patents they'll win them. Trying to win them outright as defensive patents was a stupid attempt.
The fact that their current IP strategy seems to be to buy IP is absurd. Google really needs to start producing significant IP in the mobile space. Their current IP strategy is naive, and likely costly. The fact that they didn't think about this three years ago, when Jobs was on stage talking about patenting everything, up and down, is a firing offense, IMO.
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#3I'm glad Google finally just came out and said it, rather than trying to say, what they said previously, which was that MS and Apple were trying to keep the patents from them. A tip for Google, the truth works better, even if it requires a few more sentences to tell it. On the actual merits though, Google seems to be completely lost in the world of IP tactics. They should have worked to remove all of these patents of…
You seem to have misunderstood the whole thing (if you have even read any of it), they haven't retracted anything nor changed their position.
There is no sense in buying patents jointly with Microsoft because then they couldn't use the patents to block Microsoft from extorting handset makers which defeats the whole purpose. It's not about buying patents for the sake of having patents.
If any of the reporters had bothered to ask an IP lawyer all this would have been made clear to them, but they unthinkingly quote Tweets and print comments from Florian Muller instead.
And are you actually suggesting that producing IP is more efficient and quicker than buying it?! I very much urge you to think on that.
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#4I'm glad Google finally just came out and said it, rather than trying to say, what they said previously, which was that MS and Apple were trying to keep the patents from them. A tip for Google, the truth works better, even if it requires a few more sentences to tell it. On the actual merits though, Google seems to be completely lost in the world of IP tactics. They should have worked to remove all of these patents of…
Maybe I'm being naively optimistic, but if we take Google to be both unafraid to take risks and long-term in its thinking, we can interpret all of its actions as spending as little as possible on patents while getting opponents to spend as much as possible and simultaneously undermining software patents at large.
Seems to me like Google is taking advantage of a growing anti-patent sentiment in the tech community that's beginning to spill over into the mainstream and capitalizing on the idea that the innovation-stifling patent regime is contributing to a stagnating economy.
Exhibit A: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-02/google-hires-federa...
Exhibit B: http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/08/in...
Exhibit C: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/w... http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/08/04/138934689/the-tues...
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#5I'm glad Google finally just came out and said it, rather than trying to say, what they said previously, which was that MS and Apple were trying to keep the patents from them. A tip for Google, the truth works better, even if it requires a few more sentences to tell it. On the actual merits though, Google seems to be completely lost in the world of IP tactics. They should have worked to remove all of these patents of…
You seem to have misunderstood the whole thing (if you have even read any of it), they haven't retracted anything nor changed their position. There is no sense in buying patents jointly with Microsoft because then they couldn't use the patents to block Microsoft from extorting handset makers which defeats the whole purpose. It's not about buying patents for the sake of having patents. If any of the reporters had both…
There is no sense in buying patents jointly with Microsoft because then couldn't they use the patent to block
Of course not. But you take those patents off the table. It's 7,000 fewer patents you have to deal with. Even under reasonable terms, if MS gets enough patents, they could raise licensing fees such that doing WP over Android is a no-brainer. Now the Android licensing fees are just a nuisance.
Also are you actually suggesting that producing IP is more efficient and quicker than buying it?!
Yes (well cheaper -- not quicker). At least buying targeted patents. These large portfolios are going for about $500k-$750k per patent. I wouldn't be surprised if Google paid $1M each for the 1,000 IBM patents they bought.
The big advantage they get w/ buying is the patents are available now. But this is why this is a firing offense. Everyone else in the industry has been building up their IP warchest for some time. Apple telegraphed it years ago that they'd fight with patents in the mobile space. Google seems to be surprised.
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#6The Nortel patent purse had over 6,000 patents, but InterDigital has over 8,800. If the winning bid on Nortel was $4.5 billion, InterDigital should be well north of $5 billion.
Not quite sure where this logic comes from. Surely they're only valuable if they're relevant and strategically useful?
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#7[deleted]
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#8I'm glad Google finally just came out and said it, rather than trying to say, what they said previously, which was that MS and Apple were trying to keep the patents from them. A tip for Google, the truth works better, even if it requires a few more sentences to tell it. On the actual merits though, Google seems to be completely lost in the world of IP tactics. They should have worked to remove all of these patents of…
Maybe I'm being naively optimistic, but if we take Google to be both unafraid to take risks and long-term in its thinking, we can interpret all of its actions as spending as little as possible on patents while getting opponents to spend as much as possible and simultaneously undermining software patents at large. Seems to me like Google is taking advantage of a growing anti-patent sentiment in the tech community that…
Probably naively optimistic. ;-)
The public generally doesn't care. The courts won't change course without congress. Congress won't make a big change. Minor reform at best (I doubt we'll see much more than what is already in the oven).
The problem is that Android isn't viewed as innovative by most consumers. I think in a PR battle between Apple saying Google copies, and Google saying that Apple is blocking them from innovating -- Apple wins.
And the other issue is that a lot of the patents at stake are HW patents. Undermining HW patents is a much harder sell.
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#9The Nortel patent purse had over 6,000 patents, but InterDigital has over 8,800. If the winning bid on Nortel was $4.5 billion, InterDigital should be well north of $5 billion. Not quite sure where this logic comes from. Surely they're only valuable if they're relevant and strategically useful?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-03/samsung-is-said-to-...
InterDigital’s engineers invented some of the technology for high-speed mobile phone networks now used by the world’s biggest handset makers.
This is a link on some of their "breakthroughs" covered in their patent portfolio:
http://www.interdigital.com/patents/category/patent_portfoli...
"North" is the key word here. This could get crazy. I bet Nathan Myrvhold is laughing to the bank right now.
Re: Google Responds To Microsoft’s "Gotcha": They’re Diverting Attention
#10The Nortel patent purse had over 6,000 patents, but InterDigital has over 8,800. If the winning bid on Nortel was $4.5 billion, InterDigital should be well north of $5 billion. Not quite sure where this logic comes from. Surely they're only valuable if they're relevant and strategically useful?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-03/samsung-is-said-to-... InterDigital’s engineers invented some of the technology for high-speed mobile phone networks now used by the world’s biggest handset makers. This is a link on some of their "breakthroughs" covered in their patent portfolio: http://www.interdigital.com/patents/category/patent_portfoli... "North" is the key word here. This could get crazy. I bet Nathan My…
The issue is that, rather than making judgements like you have done, reporters have been finding it easy to base suggestions on the numbers, suggesting the reason they would be worth more is that there are more of them.