UK-based telecoms group BT is suing Google in the US over claims that six of its patents have been infringed.
The British company's complaints centre on technologies at the core of Google's Android mobile system, search site, and a wide range of other services.
BT is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against Google's continued use of its innovations.
The move marks the latest patent attack on Android following legal action by Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and others.
BT said it currently had a portfolio of around 5,600 patents and patent applications.
Its complaint states that it has invested heavily in mobile technologies and related services over the past two decades.
It then claims that its resulting patents have been infringed by Google's search engines, Android system, Google+ social network, eBooks, Maps, Offers, Docs, Places, Gmail, Doubleclick advertising management system, AdWords advertisement listing program and other services.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16243414
Can't say I've seen BT do anything remotely like that. Have they just been patenting completely random ideas in the hope they could at some point, sue someone? I suppose they need every penny they can get their hands on to make sure they hit targets within 10 years of the announced dates given :P
It does invite a rather cynical response, doesn't it?
I was reading about this last night and the opinion was because the patents are a bit more broad BT have a bit of a chance.
And Niall, I've been round the innovation and test lab at Martlesham and can confirm they have all sort of weird and wonderful ideas.
Why have they never done anything then? Surely to god they saw the way the wind was blowing for the last 10 years. Seeing technology develop the way it has, if they have these patents, how come nothing was released to make them money? BT wouldn't be in half the mess they are now if they'd actually applied even half of the things they claim to own.
Quote from: Lance on Dec 19, 2011, 22:58:57
I was reading about this last night and the opinion was because the patents are a bit more broad BT have a bit of a chance.
And Niall, I've been round the innovation and test lab at Martlesham and can confirm they have all sort of weird and wonderful ideas.
Not that weird - I have worked with Martlesham on many projects over the years and they are way ahead of the market. There is an "invention" that I managed the development and patenting of, in 1998/99 which has only just come to market. Others from the slightly earlier started to appear in around 2005. BT was partially responsible for the specification and development of GSM, they hit 80Gbps on optical fibre in the 80's, have played significant roles in development and specification of ADSL and VDSL technologies and there are many many more.
There is a whole team of Patent Attorney's filing and managing BTs IP and the figure of 5600 is very low ... It was in the late 90's in excess of 10,000 patents.
I have been waiting for this to become public, as some of my work is included in the action. One of the patents, is owned by BT, and I believe originally licensed to another company - they have been taken over twice and is still licensed and that was in place when Google was a $10 company.