The smartphone industry is really in a tussle these days. The Apple v. Samsung case has affected, undoubtedly, how all the major players will view patent infringement, and Google is not immune to seeing the writing on the wall. Apple's victory was about more than the Korean electronics giant, and according to Google, the company will probably approach the situation differently in the future.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Google vice-president of of corporate development, David Lawee, states the entire affair was a bit of a "wake up call." Lawee also hopes the company is now paying more attention to the value of patents.
"I'm hoping we're kind of over the hump, in terms of how people value patents," said Lawee. "And the 'thermonuclear world' is not the world we're going to live in."
Lawee is of course referring to a now infamous comment made by the late Steve Jobs, wherein the former Apple CEO told biographer Walter Isaacson about his plans to destroy Android. Jobs viewed Google's platform as a "stolen product."
The thermonuclear reference wasn't the only swipe Lawee directed at Apple, either. He also noted Google's prior practice of not aggressively securing patents.
"We didn't really believe, kind of rounded corners were patentable," added Lawee. "We just didn't buy into that notion of protecting your IP."
While it's not immediately clear what steps Google is taking to change its philosophy, it seems fairly clear the company won't sit on its laurels in regards to design choices again.
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HDBoy
September 11, 2012 at 10:39pm
What laurels? Copying Apple's best stuff isn't something to boast about as an accomplishment. Android IS based on stolen intellectual property. The whole world saw Google's pre-iPhone, Android prototype (which by the way, was a knock-off of RIM's Blackberry). Thew we all saw Google's knock-offs of the iPhone appear.
I used to respect Google. Now, I despise the company's anti-consumer, anti-privacy, pro-foreign manufacturing rip-off efforts. I'll never buy a phone from an advertising company that is out to track, capture and sell personal information. The very idea is folly. Phandroids may be getting slightly cheaper cell phones, but they'll pay a higher price in other ways.
Maxone42
September 11, 2012 at 1:53pm
"Jobs viewed Google's platform as a "stolen product.""??????!!!!!??????___________
_____Well... "Google platform" IS a stolen product. Stolen from the greatest company ever.
