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Google buys Motorola Mobility, looks to protect Android from competitors

by Kelly Hodgkins Aug 15th 2011 at 10:00AM

Google sent shockwaves in the mobile world by announcing it is acquiring Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion. Patents are the presumptive focus of this acquisition, as Motorola's cellphone business has over 17,000 patents in its portfolio and over 7,000 patents pending in the USPTO. Larry Page sums it up when he says,

"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."

Motorola may have the strongest patent portfolio among Android handset makers, but that didn't stop Apple from challenging the US company in court.

As you may remember, Apple is engaged in a heated legal battle with Motorola Mobility. Motorola launched the first strike when it filed a complaint with the ITC and a formal patent infringement lawsuit against Apple in October 2010. Apple responded with its own lawsuit and ITC complaint a few weeks later. These legal battles are still ongoing.

Recently, Apple targeted the Motorola Xoom in a German legal filing. The complaint was referenced in a larger complaint against Samsung and focused on the design of the Xoom and its similarity to the iPhone.



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Google sent shockwaves in the mobile world by announcing it is acquiring Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion. Patents are the...
 

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John Zabba McLean

when apple buys patents, they are a horrible reality distorting corporation. When google does it, its fantastic and they keep innovation coming?? Do u not see how biased you android trolls are? wasn't it just last week that google lied and said ms, and apple were teaming up against them to only be at the bottom of it all when they were exposed?? yet you trust google? google will always copy something thats already out and try to put their own spin on it. google +, android, google.com... almost anything they do... its hardly innovation if you cant come up with it on your own and make it big.

August 16 2011 at 12:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tim Stewart

I wonder if this could also mean that GoogleTV would also be able to make it's way onto the digital cable terminals (DCT/cable boxes) that Motorola Mobility makes. I work for a cable company and find that Moto makes the best ones right now, and would love to see that become an option.

August 15 2011 at 2:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Derek Land

Google buys it for it's patent portfolio...

Wait, wasn't Google just whining like spoiled child because they said Apple was stifling innovation by using patents to protect their products?

August 15 2011 at 1:47 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Derek Land's comment
Dynamite Donald

You have to fight at everyone elses level, if they are all going to compete with patents then Google needs to compete with patents.

August 15 2011 at 6:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
macfreakbudda

Motorola makes some of the crappiest phones around so I'm glad Google made this 'investment', keep all the low quality give-aways under on supplier for the phone companies.

August 15 2011 at 1:46 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Faixan Amjad

Wow .. It means that soon we will start to see much more beautiful phones by motorola .. In my opinion google has done a very good investment!!!
http://www.technorotic.com/2011/08/google-buys-motorola-for-over-12-5-billion-dollars/

August 15 2011 at 1:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tezgno

Not trying to nitpick, but the title should read:

"Google buys Motorola Mobility, looks to protect Android from competitors"

Also, the logo should be the Red M, not the Blue M. The Blue M is Motorola Solutions, a company that Google DID NOT buy.

August 15 2011 at 10:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Tezgno's comment
Johan Rolwen

I was going to state that! despite the fact I didn't know entire enterprise Google acquired a minimalist sub-enterprise.

August 15 2011 at 10:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Johan Rolwen's comment
Tezgno

According to Google, it was strictly for the patent portfolio. At the end of the day, Motorola Mobility will just be back under a parent company (prior to January 2011, Motorola Mobility was a devision of Motorola, the parent company. They then split the business into two companys, Moto Solutions and Moto Mobility).

August 15 2011 at 10:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down
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