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Google Accused of Stealing Balloon Network Tech Behind Project Loon (thestack.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Google's parent company Alphabet has found itself faced with a lawsuit, which claims that the tech giant stole the idea behind its Wi-Fi-emitting balloon network, Project Loon. The Space Data Corporation of Chandler, Arizona, filed the suit and is arguing that it currently holds patents for a balloon-based system which carries broadband antennae to create a wireless network to deliver data services to U.S. armed forces and across remote areas of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. The organization is seeking damages for two counts of patent infringement, as well as two counts of misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of written contract. Space Data says in their complaint that they had med with as many as 10 Google representatives, including Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in 2007 and 2008 to discuss potential partnerships. They say Google did not agree with the collaboration, and chose to steal trade secrets and start developing their own balloon network in 2011 instead. "Project Loon improperly and unlawfully utilizes Space Data's confidential information and trade secrets which Space Delta disclosed to Defendant Google pursuant to a 2007 Mutual Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement," the complain states.
It is up in the air to who will win this lawsuit.
Instead of "x...but on the Internet", it's probably just "x...but with balloons".
...or something... (posting AC because I don't feel like going through pw recovery)
I worked for a company that was approached by google with an interest in our VOIP technology... We were all giddy because it seemed like the big "G" was in talks to buy us and our technology. There were NDA's signed, and access to our source tree was enthusiastically granted and Google engineers poured over our source code for a week.... Shortly thereafter, they declared they were not interested in purchasing us.. Lo-behold, not long after "Google Voice" was born with technology similar to our own...
We all felt duped but I'm sure it was all on the up-n-up...
prior art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Google's new motto: "Don't get caught"
Sadly, you couldn't be more wrong here.
This is the problem with mega-corporations. They now simply don't give a shit if they get caught stealing IP, because they already know the little guy doesn't have the endless funds to feed a legal battle (for years if necessary).
And even if they are ultimately found liable, the "punishments" are a pathetic joke that management pays with pocket change.
TL; DR - Google's new motto: "Fuck You Very Much and Have a Nice Day"
So their motto used to be Do No Evil and now it's "Do No Evil"?
now it's "No, Do Evil"...
You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
The direction-finding system, which relied on very sensitive receivers, was developed by Captain Henry Joseph 'HJ' Round (1881-1966) of British Military Intelligence, on secondment from the Marconi Company, where he had worked since 1902. Round – later also an IEE member – was a pioneer of the use of electronics. By 1916 he had developed a wireless set weighing 57lb, which was light enough for observation balloons on the Western Front for intelligence gathering
Flashback to 1997, I recall working in a startup where we were partnered w/Orbital (in VA/Chandler Az) on a high altitude system using airships (balloons) as an alternative to Orbcomm and Iridium back in the day. The transceivers were to handle IP traffic. OSC was to supply the electronics, and we teamed with Gore Industries for the airships (to be flown at 120000ft) since Gore was the main vendor for materials on those high alt balloon experiments. The effort of course, collapsed with the space industry at the time. Looking at the people involve, Space Data has merit in the idea, but NDAs w/Google is another investigation that will determined this lawsuit's outcome.
Those were fun days, the Internet was just ramping up from dial up, Iridium was driving great ideas in the space communications industry and mobile phones were taking off.
Funny thing was back then, our balloon competitor was Alexander Haig and his odd partner-- and tackling regulations to get their balloon system off the ground via gov't permission instead of focusing on tech.
Fun days I sure miss...