Android System [à la] Redhat With Open Source Java! SUN Proposal : Geemodo

Android Java SUN Oracle and Google http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
These patent law suits are digging up many things and among dirt, sometimes there are gems. Like the one Google bosses lost or chose to decline or laugh at. During the forming of Android, Andy Rubin expressed the value of Java to Android and his discussions with SUN and Schwartz excitement over the Redhat like Android with Open Source Java tells a big story.
But the biggest fact is that Google or some at the top decided that licensing Java for $100 million a year was ridiculous and now may have to pay for the short sightedness
Geemodo: Oracle - Google Android Lawsuit Surfacing Interesting Facts. Open Source Java!

Nortel Patents Goes To A Consortium, Google Dissapointed!

Nortel Patents Auction http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks like there is no end to patent news today and here is another. Last night, Nortel picked a winner for their 6000 patents, it is a consortium of players who stand to benefit from the patents not going to Google. Google was expecting to win the portfolio.
The consortium consists of Apple, RIM, Microsoft, Sony, and others, and they must really be happy to have spent %4.5 billion.
They will have to wait for the courts to clear the purchase and Apple and Microsoft in the mix will ensure a lengthy review.
Of course Google is disappointed and rightly so. Google initiated to bidding for Nortel patents early on and was met with objections from, most members of the consortium.

“This outcome is disappointing for anyone who believes that open innovation benefits users and promotes creativity and competition. We will keep working to reduce the current flood of patent litigation that hurts both innovators and consumers,” Kent Walker, Google’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel said in a statement.

Google Goes After About 6000 Nortel Patents To Protect Android And Chrome

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
In an attempt to ward of or have means to negotiate, Google has entered in to a "stalking horse asset sale agreement"with Nortel to buy nearly 6000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patent portfolios. According to news sources, Google will uses these patents to protect itself, partners and Open Source Developers working on projects such as Chrome and Android.
Google announced that;

"But as things stand today, one of a company’s best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services. Google is a relatively young company, and although we have a growing number of patents, many of our competitors have larger portfolios given their longer histories." 

in a blog post today. (Link to the post at the end of article). I am for a better patent reform and to deter these in it for patent business.
Google was hit with as much as 38 patent lawsuits recently. Some even target developers for Android and Apple iOS System. Way to Go Google.!

Here is the relevent Nortel Press release;

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 4, 2011) - Nortel(1) Networks Corporation (OTCBB:NRTLQ) announced today that it, its principal operating subsidiary Nortel Networks Limited (NNL) and certain of its other subsidiaries, including Nortel Networks Inc. and Nortel Networks UK Limited (in administration), have entered into a stalking horse asset sale agreement with Google Inc. for the sale of all of Nortel's remaining patents and patent applications for a cash purchase price of US$900 million.
The agreement includes the planned sale of approximately 6,000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patent portfolios. The extensive patent portfolio touches nearly every aspect of telecommunications and additional markets as well, including Internet search and social networking.
This agreement follows a confidential, multi-round bidding process involving several interested companies and consortia from around the world.
"This is an unprecedented opportunity to acquire one of the most extensive and compelling patent portfolios to ever come on the market", said George Riedel, Chief Strategy Officer and President of Business Units, Nortel. "We look forward to what we hope will be a robust auction, following the requisite court approvals, currently expected to be held in June 2011".
Details of Sale Process
Nortel will file the stalking horse asset sale agreement with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware along with a motion seeking the establishment of bidding procedures for an auction that allows other qualified bidders to submit higher or otherwise better offers, as required under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. A similar motion for the approval of the bidding procedures will be filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Following completion of the bidding process, final approval of the U.S. and Canadian courts will be required.
In addition to the processes and approvals outlined above, consummation of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of regulatory and other customary conditions.
As previously announced, Nortel does not expect that the Company's common shareholders or the NNL preferred shareholders will receive any value from the creditor protection proceedings and expects that the proceedings will result in the cancellation of these equity interests.

 Official Google Blog: Patents and innovation

Smartphone Patent Lawsuit Targets Developers In Addition To Apple, Android, Blackberry and Microsoft

Smartphone Patents, http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I come back from a small spring break to find a bunch of smatphone related lawsuits. iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Microsoft are all targeted in these suits. Google / Android alone seem to have attracted 38 such lawsuits.
But the latest lawsuit targeting 32 entities is covering developers in addition to hardware and Smartphone OS manufacturers like Google and Apple. Texas-based H-W Technology L.C. filed a complaint in Eastern Texas March 30, 2011, asserting a Patent on an "Internet protocol (IP) phone with search and advertising capability" against 32 legal entities. H-W Technology L.C. claims that the patent covers systems and methods that "allow users of [smartphones] via domain specific applications to receive information and offers from merchants and to complete a transaction with one of said merchants without having to generate a voice call.", which sounds to me like web browsing me who knows next to nothing about law and patents!

This is setting a pathway for patent hoarders as well as real patent holders to go after app developers. USPTO should really be checking these stuff well. At least we can be happy that Florian Mueller is doing the hard work of sorting things out for us.
He has drawn out the main pieces of the complaint (which is supposed to be very large);

• Google and Microsoft are sued for providing software that is installed on smartphones. With respect to Microsoft, the Windows Phone 7-powered Samsung Focus is mentioned. In Google's case, the Android application store is mentioned.
• Device makers: specifically named products include the iPhone, the BlackBerry Torch, and five Android devices (LG G2x, Samsung Galaxy S, Motorola Droid X, HTC Thunderbolt, and Kyocera Echo).
• All of the accused apps are basically mobile online shops: Amazon.com's, eBay's, Hotels.com's, Expedia's, Priceline.com's, Orbitz Worldwide's and Kayak.com's apps, and Verizon's VCast app.

Read more at Florian's blog.

A Broad Patent Granted For "Method and apparatus for controlling a computer system "

Patents snapvoip.blogspot.com
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a very broad patent on "Method and apparatus for controlling a computer system ". According to the authors, patented method “facilitates an intuitive motion control of the application by physically manipulating the electronic device…it enables a user to intuitively control the state and/or displayed content of a computing device without the conventional need of pressing button(s), or manipulating a trackpad, trackball, etc. In this regard, the motion control agent represents a new paradigm in user control of computing systems.”
So handheld devices like iPhones and Androids might be covered. But I always wonder about these patents.
There is a lively conversation going on at Slashdot where they say it is a narrow patent.

iProd To Prod You To Workout!

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Web is alive with Apple's patented iProd and from Gizmodo, New Scientist have their own versions of the story and suggestions, I have one questions.
Does it electronically prod you (Tracer Gun?) when you slow down? or does it stop playing the music?

Tags: iProd, Patents, Apple