iLoungeiLounge
  • News
    • Apple
      • AirPods Pro
      • AirPlay
      • Apps
        • Apple Music
      • iCloud
      • iTunes
      • HealthKit
      • HomeKit
      • HomePod
      • iOS 13
      • Apple Pay
      • Apple TV
      • Siri
    • Rumors
    • Humor
    • Technology
      • CES
    • Daily Deals
    • Articles
    • Web Stories
  • iPhone
    • iPhone Accessories
  • iPad
  • iPod
    • iPod Accessories
  • Apple Watch
    • Apple Watch Accessories
  • Mac
    • MacBook Air
    • MacBook Pro
  • Reviews
    • App Reviews
  • How-to
    • Ask iLounge
Font ResizerAa
iLoungeiLounge
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • News
    • Apple
    • Rumors
    • Humor
    • Technology
    • Daily Deals
    • Articles
    • Web Stories
  • iPhone
    • iPhone Accessories
  • iPad
  • iPod
    • iPod Accessories
  • Apple Watch
    • Apple Watch Accessories
  • Mac
    • MacBook Air
    • MacBook Pro
  • Reviews
    • App Reviews
  • How-to
    • Ask iLounge
Follow US

News › Apple

AppleNews

Google exec pens open letter on ‘hostile’ campaign against Android

Last updated: May 13, 2021 5:13 am UTC
By Charles Starrett

David Drummond, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Google, has posted an open letter in which he accuses Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, and others of waging “a hostile, organized campaign against Android” using what he calls “bogus” patents. “They’re doing this by banding together to acquire Novell’s old patents (the “CPTN” group including Microsoft and Apple) and Nortel’s old patents (the “Rockstar” group including Microsoft and Apple), to make sure Google didn’t get them; seeking $15 licensing fees for every Android device; attempting to make it more expensive for phone manufacturers to license Android (which we provide free of charge) than Windows Phone 7; and even suing Barnes & Noble, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung. Patents were meant to encourage innovation, but lately they are being used as a weapon to stop it,” he writes.

Advertisements

“This anti-competitive strategy is also escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they’re really worth,” Drummond continues. “The winning $4.5 billion for Nortel’s patent portfolio was nearly five times larger than the pre-auction estimate of $1 billion. Fortunately, the law frowns on the accumulation of dubious patents for anti-competitive means — which means these deals are likely to draw regulatory scrutiny, and this patent bubble will pop.”

Following the publication of Drummond’s post, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith stated on Twitter that Microsoft asked Google to bid jointly for the Nortel patents, and that they said no, a claim corroborated by screenshot of an email to Smith from Google General Counsel Kent Walker stating as much, which was published online by Frank X.

Shaw of Microsoft. Notably, Google attempted to purchase the Nortel patents on its own, despite its inference that they are of a “dubious” nature; Apple has yet to respond on the issue.

.
Advertisements

Latest News
The 128GB Cellular iPad is $50 Off
The 128GB Cellular iPad is $50 Off
1 Min Read
5 Upcoming Apple Products with the M5 Chip
5 Upcoming Apple Products with the M5 Chip
1 Min Read
Online Leak Reveals Battery Specs for the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Online Leak Reveals Battery Specs for the iPhone 17 Pro Max
1 Min Read
Apple Arcade Gains Angry Birds Bounce and Three More Titles
Apple Arcade Gains Angry Birds Bounce and Three More Titles
1 Min Read
The Apple Pencil Pro is $30 Off
The Apple Pencil Pro is $30 Off
1 Min Read
Foldable iPad Plans Temporarily Shelved
Foldable iPad Plans Temporarily Shelved
1 Min Read
Apple Watch Ultra 3 to Launch Soon
Apple Watch Ultra 3 to Launch Soon
1 Min Read
OLED MacBook Pro on the Horizon
OLED MacBook Pro on the Horizon
1 Min Read
The 13-inch M4 iPad Pro Wi-Fi 256GB is $200 Off
The 13-inch M4 iPad Pro Wi-Fi 256GB is $200 Off
1 Min Read
Trump Announces Possible Buyer for TikTok
Trump Announces Possible Buyer for TikTok
1 Min Read
Direct Messages Launches on Threads
Direct Messages Launches on Threads
1 Min Read
New Apple Ad Highlights iPhone 16 Pro Camera Control
New Apple Ad Highlights iPhone 16 Pro Camera Control
1 Min Read

iLounge logo

iLounge is an independent resource for all things iPod, iPhone, iPad, and beyond. iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, Apple TV, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.

This website is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
iLounge © 2001 - 2025. All Rights Reserved.
  • Contact Us
  • Submit News
  • About Us
  • Forums
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?