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Google, Motorola Ordered To Provide Android Info To Apple

snydeq writes "A U.S. judge has ordered Motorola Mobility and Google to turn over information to Apple on Google's acquisition in 2005 of Android, its development of the Android OS and the proposed acquisition of Motorola. According to Motorola, the information Apple seeks regarding Google's acquisition of Motorola and Android is not relevant to any damages asserted in the case." This comes alongside news that Apple has offered licensing deals to Motorola and Samsung that would resolve some of the patent litigation. Apple is reportedly asking for $5-$15 per device sold.

4 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Between Apple and Microsoft by Daniel+Phillips · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I find the back button for applications to be a brilliant os concept.

    True. It is a sensible API that has a natural interpretation: return to the context from which the current context was invoked, whether that be another application, an earlier frame of the browser chain or whatever. Now the obvious: forward is equally natural and is blatantly not there in Android. How many times have I hit the "back", ending up back in the application list or somewhere, and have to go hunting around to get back into the application context I just left? Which by the way is still running by the "apps never exit" rule. So obviously what I really want is a forward button, right next the the back button as is right and proper. Whenever that makes sense of course. Note to Android devs: quick, implement this before troll Apple claims to own the patent.

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  2. Re:Photo of phones before and after iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Your picture is complete bullshit. How about pick phones that are actually a realistic example for the before and after? No, you can't do that, because it would completely destroy your point.

    1. WAY too many dumb phones on there, which is completely irrelevant
    2. Complete lack of the many phones that should be on the "before" image that actually look really damn similar to the phones on the "after" image.
    3. It's fucking easy to make these pictures with a ridiculous bias, and this picture screams bias like a mother fucker.

  3. Re:Paying Microsoft and Apple for Android ? by LordLucless · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Without a profit incentive, why should I spend years in my lab building a better solar panel, or heart valve, or internal combustion engine?

    Why would you now? Your innovation was probably pre-empted by someone who just described the general process anyway, and never spent any time or money actually getting it working in practice. The USPTO hasn't required working prototypes for quite a while now. That's why you can find patents on perpetual motion machines that managed to circumlocute their way past the USPTO watchdogs.

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  4. Patents by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As one who owns 3 patents here is my humble opinion:

    It has passed time that the patent system be gutted

    The patent system was set up to encourage innovation, but the effect in recent years has been exactly the opposite

    To come up with innovative ideas isn't hard - trust me, my 3 patents testify to that - but to make sure that no megacorp gets rich with your innovative ideas without paying is just too damn crazy --- I had to pay 3 big law firms to carry out separate international patent searches in order to make sure that *MY* innovative ideas were original

    Why 3 law firms instead of one? Because I just do not have the deep pockets of the megacorps and I do not want to end up letting the patent trolls profiting from *MY* ideas

    If the patent system is gutted today, I will not lose even one minute of sleep - sure I'll lose some $$$ but compare to the loss of those patent trolls, my lose is insignificant

    As per why I patent those ideas in the first place? Well, if I don't, then some mofos hired by those patent trolls will eventually patent them to make even more megabucks

    True, I do charge for those who are using my patents, but only for pennies per device, depending on volume

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