Android has been in a huge patent war against many enemies. Motorola has mostly been unaffected so far, having the largest patent portfolio out of the other Android manufacturers. Unfortunately, there are rumors floating around that Motorola isn’t just using those patents to fight off trolls, like the recent filing with Apple. They may also use their own patent muscle to wage war against other Android manufacturers, including HTC and Samsung. This statement from Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility, was noted during a keynote at the Oppenhimer Technology & Communication’s conference:
“I would bring up IP as very important for differentiation (among Android vendors). We have a very large IP portfolio, and I think in the long term, as things settle down, you will see a meaningful difference in positions of many different Android players. Both, in terms of avoidance of royalties, as well as potentially being able to collect royalties. And that will make a big difference to people who have very strong IP positions.”
“Potentially being able to collect royalties.” It was just slipped in there. Who can say for sure if they mean against other Android manufacturers or the likes of Nokia/Apple. But he definitely mentions other Android players when talking about Motorola’s own patent portfolio, which is leading many to believe that as some confirmation.
We can only hope that this doesn’t come to fruition. Doing this makes them no better than Android’s own competitors, using patents to bully other companies rather than protecting their own inventions. We can only assume that attacking other Android manufacturers will not please the always growing Android community.
[via TechCrunch]
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