Here is an update on the latest German lawsuit of Microsoft against Google-owned Motorola Mobility. The focus is still on the core android app, Google Maps, may infringe of a key Microsoft patent, EP0845124 on a "computer system for identifying local resources and method therefor", which is the European equivalent of U.S. Patent No. 6,240,360.
If Motorola Mobile loses this court cases, it may be just a start of massive patent lawsuits between Microsoft and Google on the android app "Google Maps" around the world. According to Mueller on his FOSS Patents, "Google has not been able so far to convince the court that the patent is highly probable to be invalidated at the end of a parallel nullity proceeding." The ultimate goal of Microsoft is to process a German patent injunction against the Google Maps service, the Google Maps Android client app, and web browsers providing access to Google Maps. It means Google would have to "disable access to Google Maps from computers using a German IP address, discontinue shipping the Google Maps Android app in the German market, and distribute web browsers in Germany only if they block access to Google Maps."
While Google's situation is not optimistic, the German court inclined to ban Google Maps before it has a conclusive decision. I am very curious how would this goes and what Google will do to response to defend against the charges.
Source: http://www.fosspatents.com/2013/03/google-about-to-lose-patent-spat-with.html
This sounds absolutely ridiculous. Google map is widely used among alot of people. I wonder why it is allowed in the US but not overseas. There should be some joint patents within companies where they can't attack each other overseas when they don't in the states especially since Google and Microsoft are both from the US. I think Google will find a way to fend off the charges and come to some agreement with Microsoft over it. Why can't two leading companies just get along?
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