Google's top legal officer on Wednesday posted a scathing blog post, accusing Microsoft, Apple, Oracle and other companies of waging "bogus" patent wars over smartphone technologies.
More than 550,000 Android devices are activated daily, but the success of the mobile operating system has yielded "a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patent," said Google Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer David Drummond.
"Microsoft and Apple have always been at each other's throats, so when they get into bed together you have to start wondering what's going on," wrote Drummond at the beginning of the blog post under the heading "When patents attack Android."
The top legal officer lashed out the coalition that Apple and Microsoft formed to buy Novell patents and Nortel patents.
Last month, Google was outbid by the 4.5 billion bid made by the winning consortium of companies that includes Apple, Microsoft, Research in Motion, Sony, Ericsson and EMC on Canadian company Nortel Network's patent portfolio.
The Nortel portfolio, which is in all of the companies'best legal interests, includes patents on 3G and 4G wireless networking, optics, voice processing, semiconductors and more.
Last December, an unnamed consortium of companies, organized by Microsoft and including Apple, EMC and Oracle, also outbid Google for nearly 900 patents of software company Novell.
Patent litigation between technology companies have been flaring up particularly over mobile devices and technology.
Last August, Oracle accused Google of infringing on patents related to Java, which the database giant acquired when it took ownership of Sun Microsystems in early 2010.
Microsoft is suing device makers who use Android, including Barnes & Noble, Motorola and HTC.
Drummond wrote that "We're also looking at other ways to reduce the anti-competitive threats against Android by strengthening our own patent portfolio. Unless we act, consumers could face rising costs for Android devices -- and fewer choices for their next phone."
More than 550,000 Android devices are activated daily, but the success of the mobile operating system has yielded "a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patent," said Google Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer David Drummond.
"Microsoft and Apple have always been at each other's throats, so when they get into bed together you have to start wondering what's going on," wrote Drummond at the beginning of the blog post under the heading "When patents attack Android."
The top legal officer lashed out the coalition that Apple and Microsoft formed to buy Novell patents and Nortel patents.
Last month, Google was outbid by the 4.5 billion bid made by the winning consortium of companies that includes Apple, Microsoft, Research in Motion, Sony, Ericsson and EMC on Canadian company Nortel Network's patent portfolio.
The Nortel portfolio, which is in all of the companies'best legal interests, includes patents on 3G and 4G wireless networking, optics, voice processing, semiconductors and more.
Last December, an unnamed consortium of companies, organized by Microsoft and including Apple, EMC and Oracle, also outbid Google for nearly 900 patents of software company Novell.
Patent litigation between technology companies have been flaring up particularly over mobile devices and technology.
Last August, Oracle accused Google of infringing on patents related to Java, which the database giant acquired when it took ownership of Sun Microsystems in early 2010.
Microsoft is suing device makers who use Android, including Barnes & Noble, Motorola and HTC.
Drummond wrote that "We're also looking at other ways to reduce the anti-competitive threats against Android by strengthening our own patent portfolio. Unless we act, consumers could face rising costs for Android devices -- and fewer choices for their next phone."
