Earlier today, Google released a press statement indicating their plans to purchase Motorola Mobility. The move will give the search engine giant exclusivity with another hardware platform on which to release their increasingly popular Android interface.
Google repeatedly reaffirms that their aim is to ‘create amazing user experiences that supercharge the Android ecosystem.’ Although the language used in the release may be quirky and exciting, when you read further the message is very clear; stack their cards in the ongoing patent war. From the statement:
Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.”
I am actually glad a major player has stated their true intentions from the start. I personally want to see more accountability and openness in the increasingly litigious mobile technology space. In this latest purchase, valued at US$12.5 Billion, Google have openly indicated that their aim is to protect Android (and its hardware platforms) from competitors. They may be warranted, too; Last week, two separate lawsuits by Apple set back launch plans for the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tab in Australia and Europe, citing several copyright infringements on both their hardware and software.
This acquisition is the largest by Google to date, and gives an insight into the direction of their future strategy in the mobile marketplace. Indeed, this seems a feasible reaction to the increasing amount of lawsuits that are halting their growth in the mobile market. By purchasing Motorola’s recently separated Mobility department and bluntly outlying their position on patent portfolios, Google has armed itself with ammunition against several patent infringement cases from Apple and Microsoft, and has not been shy about doing so.
Gone are the days when innovation and the merit of your product could propel you to Number 1. Whether the plethora of litigations back-and-forth are warranted remains to be seen - I’m considering today’s announcement another lesson in this dubious arena of copyright protection, or ‘How I Learned to Stop Innovating and Love The Lawyers.’
