Blog 25: Google Goes (2-7)

April 2013 was a month that continued the trend of Google's patent woes. Business sites are also now beginning to discover that Google has been struggling tremendously in patent court, although this is a fact that has been long known by followers of the patent law scene.

As a recap, here is a summary of Google's record in court for the month of April.

Win:

1. Apple's Slide-To-Unlock Patent Invalidated in Germany
1. Samsung (Android platform) had been cleared of any potential infringement on the home screen unlock feature ubiquitous to smartphones.
2. Nokia Lawsuit Dismissed Against HTC/Google Play (not actually a win, soon to be a loss)
1. Google temporarily delayed what FossPatents believes to be inevitable--dozens of strong Nokia patents that will eventually force HTC to pay Nokia for using its intellectual property

Loss:

1. Android's Text Selection Infringes Apple Patent
1. As the title suggests, the ITC ruled that Android's text selection feature (holding down on the screen to create a translucent box around a field of text) infringed on Apple patents
2. Florida Court Slows down Apple v. Google Case
1. I discussed this in an earlier blog, but essentially non-SEP Motorola patents are under review in this case. The delay hurts Google because Google needs to have some sort of defense against Apple's patent assertions, and will not have any help from Motorola patents (as usual) because of the delay
3. Apple Defeats Samsung in Claim Construction on All But One SEP
1. Apple's victories in claim construction imply that Google/Samsung will likely be forced to pay Apple for the Android system's violations of intellectual property
4. Hon Hai Signs Royalty Deal with Microsoft
1. I also discussed this in an earlier blog--basically Google will be indirectly paying Microsoft for Android's violation of Microsoft Intellectual Property
5. ZTE Signs Deal with Microsoft
1. Microsoft signs deal with ZTE to receive royalty payments based on Android infringement.
6. Microsoft Licensed to Motorola's (for Push Notifications)
1. Under a former patent license, Motorola has already been paying Microsoft for the "push notification" technology, so Google/Motorola's lawsuit holds no water.
7. Court Rules that Google Will Receive Cents on the Dollar for Motorola Allegation
1. In this recent case, the a court determined that Motorola's FRAND demands for Microsoft would be pushed down from a $4Bn royalty fee to $1.8 MM
1. Google will probably never realize any gain in the smartphone war based on its acquisition of Motorola Mobility