Official Google Blog: When patents attack Android:
We’re looking intensely at a number of ways to do that. We’re encouraged that the Department of Justice forced the group I mentioned earlier to license the former Novell patents on fair terms, and that it’s looking into whether Microsoft and Apple acquired the Nortel patents for anti-competitive means. We’re also looking at other ways to reduce the anti-competitive threats against Android by strengthening our own patent portfolio. Unless we act, consumers could face rising costs for Android devices—and fewer choices for their next phone.
Notice what’s not on Google’s list of things to do about patents: Namely, lobbying for reform of the patent system. So why aren’t they doing that? Maybe because they’re more interested in being on the winning side of patents than doing anything about them.
Understand, I hate software patents. Patents destroy innovation. What Apple and other companies are doing with their portfolios is a misuse of the system.
But Google is being disingenuous here. The reason they are railing against patents is not because they think patents are bad, but because Android is getting sued and they have nothing to fight back with. Does anybody think that if Google had a significant patent portfolio, they wouldn’t use it the same way?
Update: Google took down the post. Guess they didn’t get the sympathy they were hoping for.
Update 2: It’s back. Weird.