Motorola Countersues Microsoft Over 16 Patents 62
FlorianMueller writes "As if there weren't already enough patent suits related to smartphone technologies, Motorola just announced its widely anticipated countersuit against Microsoft. Its subsidiary Motorola Mobility filed complaints with two US District Courts (Southern District of Florida and Western District of Wisconsin). Motorola already litigates with Apple in those and other courts. According to Motorola, the patents relate to technologies in the fields of operating systems, video codecs, email, instant messaging, object-oriented software architectures, WiFi, and graphical passwords. Motorola claims Windows, the Live messenger, Windows Phone, Outlook and other Microsoft products infringe. Motorola's action is no surprise given that all of the companies sued over patent infringement by Android — with the exception of Google — have already countersued."
Pew Pew Pew... (Score:5, Insightful)
Its like a giant space battle.. but involving black suits, lots of money and lawyers.
Here's hoping none of them are taken seriously in the courts and all these silly, strategic patents are called what they are, invalid and worthless. (And hope that the technology, on whomevers side doesn't suffer)
One can hope right?
No surprises (Score:4, Insightful)
All this patent litigation is going to result in a patent pool, locking new competition out of the smart phone market for 20 years. Hope the tech companies enjoy their little circle-jerk. All it's highlighting to the rest of the world is the stupidity of some of the patents involved.
I'll make the popcorn (Score:3, Insightful)
This is a Mutually Assured Destruction fight, but unlike others with this strategy I'm not going to be hit.
You would have thought that these Fortune 500 companies would figure out that the only winning move is not to play.
Re:Southern District of FL (Score:4, Insightful)
I think that if you don't make products you take your patent troll business to Texas. Evidently if you actually use your patents for making things you have to go elsewhere.
Re:Pew Pew Pew... (Score:4, Insightful)
So, do you have particular insight into these patents to back your claim that they are invalid and worthless?
Or are you one of those people who really thinks patents shouldn't exist, but won't just admit it?
Or perhaps you think you get to stipulate the terms of how a patent must be used for it to be valid and have worth, even though the system of patent laws intentionally doesn't do so?
Judges should game the system back (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:This is going to be an interesting one (Score:3, Insightful)
From an outsider's perspective, I saw the MS lawsuit as a thinly disguised attempt to try fight dirty against Android. While some might think Apple is the biggest competitor in the mobile space, it's really Android. Just like the computer market, MS sells their OS primarily through their partners. Unlike the computer market, their partners have a suitable alternative in Android. Android is not completely free (there are things the handset makers agree to in order to use it) but probably much cheaper than WM6 was. The fear at MS would be if their partners abandoned them for Android (which they can't do for iOS). Short of making their own phone themselves, they will be left without any way to sell their OS. Unfortunately for MS, Motorola has a long history and lots of patents throughout the years.
Re:Patent War I (Score:3, Insightful)
Granted it's not a perfect analogy; I didn't use a car.
But I still think there are enough points in common to draw a parallel. A tangled web of alliances, a stockpiling of resources, and itchy trigger fingers.
But you're right - patents aren't bombs. That's why I predict a different outcome. How many patents are some of these companies sitting on? IBM is granted about 4000 per year. [theregister.co.uk] And now we're seeing squabbles involving a few dozen.
This can't do anything but escalate.
The next idea will be "They're suing us for 6 patents? Nail them for 12. They responded with 15? Go for 20." And so on.
With any luck the courts will see this for what it is. It is anti competitive. These patents don't protect innovation, they're a threat to others. A huge "nuclear option" series of lawsuits might be the best way to finally have the courts see this. If that happens perhaps we'll all get that patent rewrite we all have been hoping for. No better way to show the world something needs fixed than by demonstrating just how broken it is.