Tech Leadership On Patent Reform

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It is for the biggest tech companies to take the lead on patent reform. Perhaps there are allies on Capitol Hill. But this Microsoft gesture seems to seek patent defeat not patent peace. For now the big dogs are in mood to duke it out, not hug it out. That is the impression I get.

Microsoft to Google: Enough With the Diversionary Tactics, Let’s Hug It Out

called on Google and Motorola to join it in hammering out a comprehensive settlement of intellectual property disputes between them ..... Motorola’s public proposal to take a license for only a small sub-set of the large number of Microsoft patents used in its products will not result in durable patent peace ..... “Microsoft wants to undercut Motorola’s industry-leading patent portfolio, licensed by more than 50 other companies on fair and reasonable terms, while seeking inflated royalties tied to standards that Microsoft alone controls. Motorola is always open to negotiations that avoid wasteful and abusive patent claims.”

A Solid Foundation for Patent Peace

we are seeking solely the same level of reasonable compensation for our patented intellectual property that numerous other Android distributors – both large and small – have already agreed to recognize in our negotiations with them.

Microsoft to Motorola: The way to 'patent peace'

The patent wrangles have a complicated history: earlier this year more than a dozen Android-powered Motorola devices were banned from being imported to the U.S. for sale because Motorola was found to have infringed Microsoft's ActiveSync patent, thanks to a ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). ..... More recently, a German court banned the sale of all Motorola devices running Android because the smartphone maker infringed a Microsoft-owned patent relating to file storage. .... Meanwhile Motorola secured an injunction against Windows 7 and the Xbox in Germany over H.264 video codecs, though the sales ban will not be enforced immediately. Microsoft said it wanted to use the video compression technology, but Motorola would charge in the region of $4 billion in annual royalties -- which Microsoft said was not at the market rate.

Microsoft wants 'patent peace' in ongoing Motorola spat

Microsoft's lawyers pen a public note to Motorola: 'We want to talk because this patent nonsense is getting way out of hand.' Will the two companies kiss and make up, or squabble until a court rules?

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Republic Wireless' $19 Feast

It should not be possible to escape wireless broadband. Anywhere. In that ocean smartphones should float. Voice is just data. It can be super cheap.

Republic Wireless reopens its unlimited $19 per month beta, starts offering Motorola Defy XT

the Motorola Defy XT, an Android 2.3 device with a 3.7-inch display, 1GHz CPU, 1650 mAh battery, 5MP camera / VGA front camera, 1GB of ROM and microSD slot. It can be your for $249

Republic Wireless Outs The Defy XT, Reopens Beta For $19/Month Unlimited Wireless Service

For just $19 a month customers get truly unlimited data, voice and text messages. Plus, this is offered free of a contract. .... The Defy XT .. won’t topple any of today’s flagship phones .... But thanks to a deal with Sprint, the phones also work wherever there is a cellular signal. ..... the company is going to be a disruptive force in the wireless industry. Republic Wireless isn’t a scrappy startup either. It’s a division of the Cary, North Carolina-based Bandwidth.com, the VoIP company responsible at least in part for Google Voice, Skype, Pandora and many more data services.

Republic Wireless reopens $19 service, sells Motorola Defy XT
Let the Waves Begin!

It’s a great phone, and it’s incredibly durable. ..... With the DEFY XT, you don’t have to worry about expensive replacements and insurance policies. This phone is the real deal, with Corning Gorilla Glass and an IP67 Rating for solid particle and water resistance. .... at a time when Big Cell is busy making more money at higher prices, with more restrictions and continued confusing business practices.

Republic Wireless now brings Motorola Defy XT to its $19 unlimited monthly plans

Republic Wireless is an unusual carrier.

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Fighting Over Rectangles

Image via CrunchBase

That is nicely put. Apple is fighting over rectangles. It is being unreasonable. If Samsung is a copycat why is it beating Apple in both the smartphone and the table space by now?

Samsung Product Chief: ‘It’s Unreasonable That We’re Fighting Over Rectangles’

the most important patent dispute of the decade ..... the ongoing patent wars that have spawned dozens of lawsuits across the globe, involving not only Samsung and Apple, but also HTC, Motorola and Microsoft ..... Samsung owns more than 100,000 patents worldwide ..... Kevin Packingham ... Samsung's Chief Product Officer .. There are times when I’m absolutely appalled that we sell what I consider to be the most innovative, most secret parts of the sauce of our products to some other manufacturer — HTC, LG, Apple, anybody. ..... these very broad design patents like a rectangle. ..... “How is this possible that we’re actually having an industry-level debate and trying to stifle competition?” Consumers want rectangles and we’re fighting over whether you can deliver a product in the shape of a rectangle. ...... the patent system is broken. .... there’s just one company that’s firing the first shot consistently

Fight it out in the market, not in the courts of the world. The real news here is that the patent system is broken. The industry itself has to take the lead. Policymakers will follow.

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Motorola To The Rescue

Image via CrunchBase

Google Says Patents, Tech Were Less Than Half Motorola’s Price

$5.5 billion of the $12.4 billion price tag was attributable to “patents and developed technology.” .... would strengthen its patent portfolio and help legally insulate its Android mobile phone software from infringement lawsuits..... The acquisition would “supercharge Android,” Chief Executive Larry Page wrote then. .... Google said Motorola contributed some $1.25 billion in revenue, though the new unit also posted a $233 million operating loss. ..... Oracle sued Google for alleged patent and copyright infringement by Android in 2010, though a related trial earlier this year resulted in a victory for Google. .... $2.9 billion of the purchase price for Motorola was attributable to cash acquired, $2.6 billion was related to goodwill, $730 million for customer relationships and $670 million for “other net assets acquired.” ... the synergies expected to arise after the acquisition.”

For a software company like Google to want to do hardware in house is a big move. For a culture driven company like Google to nearly double its workforce size from one acquisition is not an easy move, not easy to pull off. For a young company like Google to buy Motorola which has a deeper bench of patents is wise, but it is a package deal. For Google to want to defend Android is very understandable.

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The Empire Strikes Back, Finally

Seattle Times: Motorola wants patent royalties from Xbox, Windows 7 a court in Germany seems inclined to side with Motorola in the company's patent fight with Microsoft in which Motorola would like Microsoft to pay it royalties of 2.25 percent in sales of Windows 7 and Xbox 360, among other products. ...... Microsoft Windows 7, Internet Explorer 9, the Windows Media Player and the Xbox 360 infringe on those two patents. ..... have to do with video compression and decompression technology, covering methods for reducing the amount of bandwidth needed for video that is streamed online..... At stake are millions of dollars in royalties, along with strategic competitive advantages. ..... Microsoft itself has a number of patent agreements in place in which manufacturing companies pay royalties to the software giant. Microsoft has not disclosed how much it gets in royalties, but Microsoft attorney Brad Smith has suggested in the past that about $5 per mobile device "seems like a fair price."

Granted the Google Motorola integration has not happened yet, the purchase has not gone through, but don't tell me the people at Motorola do not feel the need to get on the right side of their future boss, Larry Page. They know exactly why he bought Motorola.

World War III Time: Let's Go To War
Android Has To Be Kept Free

Or if these legal steps have been a long time coming, just goes on to show how software patents need fundamental reform, for everyone lives in glass houses.

But until that reform happens, the Android people have to simply fight back. Owning Motorola patents helps.

Larry Page's Challenge

Image via WikipediaLarry Page's challenge is to turn Google first into a company more valuable than Apple, and then perhaps into the most valuable company in the world. And he does not have 10 years. He could not have done it without some hardware muscle, so I have been positive he bought Motorola.

But so far I have been disappointed in Google's fight back on the Android front. Android is Google's number one most promising product right now. But it has been let to pasture. Google has not fought back hard enough to the onslaught on Android from the likes of Microsoft. You don't do that and still end up the most valuable company in the world. The price of Google not fighting back is in the tens of billions of dollars.

Google is king of search. Finally it has found its mojo on the next big thing after search: social. And it is well positioned for the next big thing after social: Big Data. But the biggest trend of all is mobile. And there Google has given ground for no reason despite having a winning product. It's a shame.

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Supercharging Android: 19,000 Is A Lot Of People

Image via CrunchBaseSupercharging Android

The Google workforce nearly doubles in size with this acquisition, and Google has been a pioneer of sorts in terms of corporate culture. I wonder how Google will eat and digest the Motorola workforce. It better do it with style if this acquisition is to prove magical.

This acquisition is also looking good on Apple and Steve Jobs. The idea that software and hardware has to happen in house is Steve Jobs' idea. Google just bought into that. That makes the iPhone more not less attractive. The iPhone remains the flagship smartphone. But I hope Google does one better. I believe in Android.

The Google thing to do would be to make the hardware much, much cheaper and go global in a big way. Search ads on Android should subsidize hardware costs. Cheaper will sell more. Make money on volume. Or, hey, make money from search.

Motorola on its own is too small a presence in the handset space for this move to be a major threat to the other Android handset players. I believe Larry Page when he says this move is primarily to bolster the entire Android ecosystem.