Microsoft’s Cynical Response to Google’s Patent Post - Timothy B. Lee - Disruptive Economics - Forbes:
Obviously, if Google bought patents in concert with Microsoft, Microsoft wouldn’t have to let Google use those patents to sue them. And they probably wouldn’t have let Google use them to sue other major tech companies, like Apple or Oracle, that are also trying to shake down Android. Microsoft knew perfectly well that Google wouldn’t join Microsoft’s bid and Smith is insulting our intelligence to suggest otherwise.
Google Should Publicly Oppose Software Patents - Timothy B. Lee - Disruptive Economics - Forbes:
"Google, whose Android operating system is currently on the business end of dozens of patent lawsuits, has a combative post accusing its competitors of ganging up on it with “bogus patents.” The company vows to fight back on multiple fronts:
We’re determined to preserve Android as a competitive choice for consumers, by stopping those who are trying to strangle it. We’re looking intensely at a number of ways to do that. We’re encouraged that the Department of Justice forced the group I mentioned earlier to license the former Novell patents on fair terms, and that it’s looking into whether Microsoft and Apple acquired the Nortel patents for anti-competitive means. We’re also looking at other ways to reduce the anti-competitive threats against Android by strengthening our own patent portfolio.
Conspicuously missing here is any mention of patent reform. Congress is currently working on a patent overhaul called the America Invents Act. Google is one of the world’s largest and most prominent victims of our innovation-taxing patent system, so lobbying for better patent laws seems like an obvious way to fight back."
