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Why don't google patent Android stuff to get iPhones banned?

G

gladoscc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 13, 2011
297
47
Google recently acquired Motorola Mobility for the patents (obviously), but they haven't being doing much with it. And iOS has taken a lot of features from Android, like the notifications, folders, Siri (google voice actions is in Android 2.x) and stuff iOS copied from Google like conversational view for email.

Given how one of apple's patents is 'swipe to unlock' and 'unified device search', I'm pretty sure something like 'swipe top of device down for notifications', 'sorting mail by sender and subject', 'server-based voice recognition for device-level tasks' would pass fine.

Then all Google needs to do is sue Apple and get the iPhone and iPad banned. Why's Google being the victim and not counterattacking?
 
Google...a victim...bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahah.






Pees self.
 
I've got to agree with the OP here. Apple sues everyone and everything that moves for the slightest infringements, yet their own iOS products reek of Android miles away. The whole swipe-down-notification panel on iOS is 100% Android. Of course companies "borrow" ideas from each other, but all these one-way Apple lawsuits are ridiculous.
 
gladoscc said:
Google recently acquired Motorola Mobility for the patents (obviously), but they haven't being doing much with it. And iOS has taken a lot of features from Android, like the notifications, folders, Siri (google voice actions is in Android 2.x) and stuff iOS copied from Google like conversational view for email.

Given how one of apple's patents is 'swipe to unlock' and 'unified device search', I'm pretty sure something like 'swipe top of device down for notifications', 'sorting mail by sender and subject', 'server-based voice recognition for device-level tasks' would pass fine.

Then all Google needs to do is sue Apple and get the iPhone and iPad banned. Why's Google being the victim and not counterattacking?
Click to expand...

Good voice actions? You know the iPhone had voice activation prior to Siri right?

----------
Glockron said:
I've got to agree with the OP here. Apple sues everyone and everything that moves for the slightest infringements, yet their own iOS products reek of Android miles away. The whole swipe-down-notification panel on iOS is 100% Android. Of course companies "borrow" ideas from each other, but all these one-way Apple lawsuits are ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Ahhhhh is that all you guys have. :D

That statement is so boring now its funny!
 
I think that's a good question.

But as long Apple sales are not stopped by a judge I assume they are in the right so far.

I can only follow the news. I have no knowledge of the patent system and its loopholes.
 
Re:

Glockron said:
I've got to agree with the OP here. Apple sues everyone and everything that moves for the slightest infringements, yet their own iOS products reek of Android miles away. The whole swipe-down-notification panel on iOS is 100% Android. Of course companies "borrow" ideas from each other, but all these one-way Apple lawsuits are ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Uh, in the patent wars everyone sues everyone not just Apple. You've had HTV vs Apple, Apple vs Samsung, Motorola vs Microsoft, Kodak vs Apple, Sony vs LG, Motorola vs Apple, and a bunch of others like S3 Graphics vs whoever, Nokia vs someone, etc, and on an on. Welcome to big business and technology. Watch where you step.
 
gladoscc said:
Google recently acquired Motorola Mobility for the patents (obviously), but they haven't being doing much with it. And iOS has taken a lot of features from Android, like the notifications, folders, Siri (google voice actions is in Android 2.x) and stuff iOS copied from Google like conversational view for email.

Given how one of apple's patents is 'swipe to unlock' and 'unified device search', I'm pretty sure something like 'swipe top of device down for notifications', 'sorting mail by sender and subject', 'server-based voice recognition for device-level tasks' would pass fine.

Then all Google needs to do is sue Apple and get the iPhone and iPad banned. Why's Google being the victim and not counterattacking?
Click to expand...

You could say Apple copied the jailbreak community. Have you ever heard of Lockinfo? Notifications looks just like it, did you just say iOS copied folders LoL guess you never used a computer before. Folders have been around forever, and Apple bought Siri so I don't know what your talking about there.
 
gladoscc said:
Then all Google needs to do is sue Apple and get the iPhone and iPad banned. Why's Google being the victim and not counterattacking?
Click to expand...
Actually Motorola is doing just that. Apple is facing a potential ban from the ITC because violations from motorola patents.
 
google invented the notification drawer? i do believe Apple hired the designer of the Palm OS notifications center
 
Back to the question.

OK. Why doesn't Google Patent.

I can think of the following.

a) If you patent, you must protect your patent from infringement.
Maybe Google doesn't want that, because they would have to
- Monitor the Apps in Google Play.
- License these patents to users of Android.

b) You patent something that you don't want to get copied.
I think Google was not believing in Android. Really be honest and think about how it all started.
- It was all Open Source based and only simulated for a long time.
- Google wanted people to contribute.
- They had no intention to create "the ecosystem", the market or "Play" thingy came way later.

c) I think they did not believe it would gain momentum
- In the days, Nokia and Symbian were king.
- Blackberry was the standard for integrated environments.
- They took a different approach and did not believe in the success.
 
The short answer is:

Apple is largely using BS software and aesthetic patents to block competitors.... Google, Motorola, HTC, Samsung and similar are too busy innovating to bother with legal maneuvers that will ultimately get them very little for the money that they cost.

The kinds of patents Apple is suing over are 90% garbage, which is why:
1. Most of the patents are eventually declared invalid
2. all of these sales bans eventually run out or get worked around (like when Samsung eliminated the 'bounce back' after scrolling to the edge in an image gallery.

Apple is trolling. Seriously. They did not invent 3/4 of the stuff they are suing over. The patent office will give you a patent on almost any BS 'innovation' if you are willing to pay the money and wait your couple of years.

Its a broken system and Apple is doing their best to use it to slow down the competition because Apple can't keep up anymore. Just look at the 'improvements' iOS 5 and 6 brought.

Apple lost their software advantage years ago and the last hardware advantage they had was their high res display.
 
Tarzanman said:
The short answer is:

Apple is largely using BS software and aesthetic patents to block competitors.... Google, Motorola, HTC, Samsung and similar are too busy innovating to bother with legal maneuvers that will ultimately get them very little for the money that they cost.

The kinds of patents Apple is suing over are 90% garbage, which is why:
1. Most of the patents are eventually declared invalid
2. all of these sales bans eventually run out or get worked around (like when Samsung eliminated the 'bounce back' after scrolling to the edge in an image gallery.

Apple is trolling. Seriously. They did not invent 3/4 of the stuff they are suing over. The patent office will give you a patent on almost any BS 'innovation' if you are willing to pay the money and wait your couple of years.

Its a broken system and Apple is doing their best to use it to slow down the competition because Apple can't keep up anymore. Just look at the 'improvements' iOS 5 and 6 brought.

Apple lost their software advantage years ago and the last hardware advantage they had was their high res display.
Click to expand...

This. Apple sees Samsung and Google taking over and they are a scared and trying to stop them. Those Motorola patents Google has are no joke. Motorola basically invented mobile radios. If Google starts to use those and they get rulings in their favor, bye bye iPhone.
 
Apple has over 30 years of OS and hardware experience. Google is just a toddler in comparison so their patent portfolio is smaller.

Motorola is sitting on a pile of FRAND patents which the ITC and FTC don't like seeing used for blackmail and extortion...

In a patent war Google loses.
 
Tarzanman said:
Apple is largely using BS software and aesthetic patents to block competitors.... Google, Motorola, HTC, Samsung and similar are too busy innovating to bother with legal maneuvers that will ultimately get them very little for the money that they cost.
Click to expand...

So, are you saying Google, Motorola, HTC and Samsung aren't suing anybody for patent violations?
 
You can't patent open source software but Motorola has sued Apple over infringing on hardware patents.

I realize that many people are new to smartphones but a lot of this stuff has been around for a long time. The hardware and software are better now but Palm, Symbian, and Windows Mobile had a lot of the features that are now called revolutionary. I believe the voice control on the iPhone prior to Siri was the one created by Microsoft.
 
maflynn said:
Actually Motorola is doing just that. Apple is facing a potential ban from the ITC because violations from motorola patents.
Click to expand...
While that is true, I believe that suit predates the Google acquisition.

nitemare said:
google invented the notification drawer? i do believe Apple hired the designer of the Palm OS notifications center
Click to expand...
No Google did not invent (nor was it ever patented). You are close if memory serves though, Apple's implementation was based on what a jail breaker developed before Apple actually hired him formally. But there is no patent dealing with this specific implementation therefore the only action would probably be over copyright which I doubt Google has either.
 
Tarzanman said:
The short answer is:

Apple is largely using BS software and aesthetic patents to block competitors.... Google, Motorola, HTC, Samsung and similar are too busy innovating to bother with legal maneuvers that will ultimately get them very little for the money that they cost.
Click to expand...

Yep, because the current smarthphone/tablet ecosystem exist because Google, Motorola, HTC, Samsung create it... with their "innovation". Not because everyone see what apple do, then try to copy it.

Of course, when somebody else - Apple - do the large, hard work of enter new market with new things, is far more easy to add your own things - Google, Motorola, HTC, Samsung - because the initial risk is already mitigated.
 
lsvtecjohn3 said:
You could say Apple copied the jailbreak community. Have you ever heard of Lockinfo? Notifications looks just like it, did you just say iOS copied folders LoL guess you never used a computer before. Folders have been around forever, and Apple bought Siri so I don't know what your talking about there.
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter if something has been around forever. Apple got a patent for a quick search box. According to Apple, the Nexus’ “Quick Search Box” which is able to search multiple sources through a single interface is like Apple’s Siri. Apple insists that this is patent infringement. The other three areas where Apple has accused Samsung of patent infringement are actionable linking, slide-to-unlock, and touch screen word suggestion.

Do you know that Google IS that first patent. I mean, how can Apple patent something that Google was born out of? Additionally, actionable linking has been around for 20 years, but Apple snapped it up for desktop computers in 1996. For some reason, Apple believes that this should encompass mobile phones and tablets as well. (Judges don't appear to be buying into it though.)

Slide to Unlock is a unique feature and it should be copyrighted, not patented.

Judge Posner has just publically stated that the US Patent system is broken and instead of allows people or companies to protect a new invention, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Google, etc... Are using them as weapons and this is not what patents were designed for.

The design and look of the Macbook Air is what a patent is for. When companies like (cough *Asus* cough) completely copy everything about the laptop, a patent will protect Apple and allow governing bodies to impose what eversanction they want. Buta line of code? Patentable? Stupid.
 
Let's be honest, there are so many components that goes into making a mobile device that if you want to be part of the game you have to copy. Everyone copies, even Apple. Although, they are a lot more sensitive when anyone copies anything they've done. You don't think Apple infringes with anything that can potentially have their products banned? I doubt it. This is a dangerous game.

I think the people running Apple and the people running Google are very very smart. Apple has made it very clear how they feel about this and they are on the offensive hard. What's Google doing? I think they're planning something big, something huge. I don't know what it is but when it happens people will not be happy.

This whole mess isn't anyone's fault in particular, businesses have to make money and that's just the way it is. The system is just really messed up and desperately needs changes.
 
One of the problems with this argument and a lot of the patent arguments is that people assume that the first company to bring something to market should hold the patent.
That just isn't right.
Many patents are granted before the device has even been prototyped.
Many of these iOS patents were granted long before the iPhone was released.
You can't just find prior art before the iPhone was released -- you need to find prior art before the patent was even applied for.
You used to be able to buy AA-sized lithium batteries in the US made by Duracell.
Today, you can only buy Energizer because they hold the patent.
Duracell was first to market -- Energizer was first to the patent office.
 
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