在接到一连串由苹果(Apple)、微软(Microsoft)、甲骨文(Oracle)和多家亟欲削弱Android影响力的公司所组成的团体所提起的涉嫌侵犯专利诉讼后，Google终于出声反击。
Google法务长David Drummond日前在该公司的Blog中撰文指出，对手正试图阻碍 Android的成长和普及，这些对手并不是经由正常管道在市场上竞争，而是透过‘有组织的活动’来进行竞争，包括发起‘假’的专利侵权诉讼在内，更重要的是，这些公司联合起来，用极高的价格来取得专利。
对一位资深的企业主管，特别是该公司的最高顾问来说，这个举动颇不寻常。尽管Google并未明确表示该公司是否担忧无法成功地为自己辩护，但很明显，Google很担心法律纠纷可能危害到 Android 的推广。
Drummond表示，这些专利侵权指控都是一些诡计。他指出，这些竞争对手之所以将Google拖上法庭，并不是他们真的认为Google侵犯了他们的专利，而是因为他们想遏止Android的快速成长。“Android是当前最热门的操作系统，”Drummond说。“每一天，都有超过55万个 Android 设备经由全球39家制造商和231家电信业者的供应网络问世。”
这无疑是一个阴谋。Google如此指控苹果和微软，特别是因为他们共谋削弱Android的影响力，因为他们担心，如果任由Android发展，最终这个新兴的操作系统可能危及他们的市场占有率。除了诉诸法律，Drummond也对这些公司合作取得北电专利的做法表示意见。“我已经在科技领域工作超过20年了。微软和苹果一直都想掐死对方，因此，当他们开始牵手合作时，你必须仔细思考究竟是怎么回事。”
Drummond认为，苹果和微软无法变成真正的朋友。然而，他们却提出了与其它公司(不包含Google)合作，共同透过CPTN Holdings LLC公司合作竞标北电专利的方式。CPTN Holdings LLC由苹果、EMC、甲骨文和微软等公司掌控。甚至连美国司法部都对这项交易有疑虑，因而施加了一些条件迫使北电修改了交易条款。
本文下一页：苹果和微软联盟的意义
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• MIC：多点触控将是Apple第二波专利诉讼的重点
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或许有人会夸大苹果和微软联盟的意义，但这两家公司过去曾经合作，未来也很可能会再度合作，此外，他们今天仍在无线手机市场激烈竞争，微软也与苹果的竞争对手诺基亚联手，以提供其Windows操作系统手机。但尽管如此，看到苹果和微软在手机领域密切合作仍然不可思议。观察这些公司如何向监管机构解释将会相当有趣。
无论是现在或未来，专利费用都会居高不下。Google指出，透过汇聚资源不断竞标专利，苹果及其合作伙伴们正在拉高专利成本。(现在你知道为何苹果并不热衷于支付股息、回购股份，或寻找其它巧妙方式来移转其750亿美元现金中的一部份给股东。) Drummond在他的Blog中表示，“此次北电专利以45亿美元得标，是原先所估计金额10亿美元的近5倍之多。”
好吧，他可能有他的道理，但Google也可以提出更高的竞标金额或是与其它投标厂商携手合作。而且，凭借着390亿美元的现金和短期投资，Google必然不缺钱。那么，为何不尝试与苹果和微软竞标？这是因为“为了不妨碍商业竞争，法律上并不认可囤积具争议性之专利的行为──这意味着这些专利交易很可能会受到监管机构的严格审察，且很可能引发所谓的专利泡沫，”Drummond说。
不过，Google也没有停滞不前。事实上，该公司表示正在为取得专利而努力，而且这将有助于“为选择Android的客户确保竞争力。”确实，Google拥有财力、精明的管理，以及足够的OEM和电信业作为其发展Android系统的合作伙伴，以抵御来自苹果-甲骨文-微软的压力。然而，这家公司是否也天真地忽略了来自对手阵营的反对力量？
Drummond的强烈抗议对于企业律师来说可能并不寻常，但我同意他的看法，如果采用Android的OEM将被迫支付惩罚性的授权费，那么，“消费者可能面临Android手机售价上扬，且可选择产品更少的情况。”
你认为呢？欢迎和我们一起讨论！
编译： Joy Teng
本文授权编译自EBN Online，版权所有，谢绝转载
参考英文原文： Google Cries Foul Over 'Bogus' Patents，by Bolaji Ojo, Editor in Chief
相关阅读：
• 分析师：苹果第二季度占手机行业总体利润的57%
• MIC：多点触控将是Apple第二波专利诉讼的重点
• HTC被判侵犯Apple专利，Android厂商盼谷歌出手搭救HKDesmc
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Google Cries Foul Over 'Bogus' Patents
Bolaji Ojo, Editor in Chief
The ink wasn't even close to drying on my last blog when executives at Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) cried out about the barrage of lawsuits they've received for allegedly violating patents held by Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and a group of companies seeking to clip the wings of its Android operating system. (See: Brawling OEMs & a Broken Patents System.)
David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer, complained in a blog on the company's site that rivals were trying to impede the growth and adoption of Android, not through normal market dynamics as one would expect, but through an "organized campaign" that includes "bogus" patent violation lawsuits and, more importantly, by banding together to pay inflated prices for IP held by other companies.
This was an unusual step for a senior corporate executive, especially for a firm's top counsel. While Google did not explicitly express concerns it might not be able to successfully defend itself, it's obvious the company is worried the legal wrangling could hurt adoption of Android. Here are the key points of Drummond's argument:
1. The alleged patent violations are a ruse. Drummond insists Google's rivals have dragged the company to court, not because they really believe it has violated their patents, but because they want to curb Android's rapid growth. "Android is on fire," Drummond said. "More than 550,000 Android devices are activated every day, through a network of 39 manufacturers and 231 carriers."
2. It's a conspiracy. Google is charging Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) especially with conspiring to cripple Android because they are worried the operating system could decimate their market shares if left unchecked. Aside from the legal filings, Drummond points to actions by a group of companies that teamed together to acquire patents held by Nortel. "I have worked in the tech sector for over two decades. Microsoft and Apple have always been at each other's throats, so when they get into bed together you have to start wondering what's going on."
He has a point; Apple and Microsoft cannot really be called two jolly friends. Yet they submitted and won a joint bid with other companies (excluding Google) to acquire patents held by Novell via a consortium known as CPTN Holdings LLC. The consortium is controlled by a group of tech companies that includes Apple, EMC, Oracle, and Microsoft. Even the US Justice Department was concerned about the transaction and imposed several conditions that forced Novell to alter the terms of the deal.
One could overstate the significance of the alliance between Apple and Microsoft, however. The two companies have collaborated in the past -- and will most likely do so in future. Furthermore, they are still fierce rivals today in the wireless handset market, with Microsoft teaming up with Apple rival Nokia to offer its Windows operating system for cellular phones. Still, it boggles the mind to see the close cooperation between Apple and Microsoft in the handset sector. It would be interesting to see how the companies explain this to regulators.
3. Higher patents costs now and in the future. Google is also alleging that by pooling resources to bid for patents, Apple and its corporate partners have been driving up the cost of patents. (Now you know why Apple isn't too keen on paying dividends, buying back shares, or finding other ingenious ways to transfer some of its $75 billion cash to shareholders.) "The winning $4.5 billion for Nortel's patent portfolio was nearly five times larger than the pre-auction estimate of $1 billion," Drummond said in his blog.
OK, he may have a point, but Google could have submitted a higher bid or teamed up with other bidders. And, with $39 billion in cash and short-term investments, Google is certainly not short of funds. So, why didn't it try to outbid Apple and Microsoft? Because "the law frowns on the accumulation of dubious patents for anti-competitive means -- which means these deals are likely to draw regulatory scrutiny, and this patent bubble will pop," according to Drummond.
Google isn't standing still. The company said it is working on acquiring patents that would help "preserve Android as a competitive choice for consumers." The company has the financial muscle, the managerial savvy, and enough OEM and telecom service partners for its Android system to withstand the Apple-Oracle-Microsoft pressure. However, it would also be naïve to ignore the forces allied against it and the enormous firepower they are bringing to the battlefront.
Drummond's outcry might be unconventional for a corporate lawyer, but I agree with him that if OEMs using Android are forced to pay punitive licensing fees, "consumers could face rising costs for Android devices -- and fewer choices for their next phone." What do you think?
责编：Quentin
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