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Something that was not discussed at the Android 4.0 and Galaxy Nexus unveiling recently is the state of the patent system. Android has had more than its fair share of run-ins with software patents in recent years, and Samsung mobile president Shin Jong-kyun made some telling statements that were only released after the event. According to Shin, Samsung and Google while developing the Galaxy Nexus actively worked to avoid patents they knew to be held by Apple
"Now we will avoid everything we can and take patents very seriously," Shin said to reporters. He went on to say that he hopes the Galaxy Nexus will be 100% free from Apple infringement suits. That would be a change for Samsung, which has seen the Cupertino-based company win sales bans on its devices in several regions. An Australian court recently barred Samsung from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the country, but Samsung hit back with new patent suits against Apple in France, Italy, Japan, and Australia.
From what we saw of Android 4.0, there does not appear to be any gaping holes in the product. But who knows if Google and Samsung spent too much time designing around those patents. How do you feel about products being developed specifically to avoid the appearance of patent infringement?
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jesse_n_sf
October 20, 2011 at 6:16am
Good now Apple will have no fuel to burn. Now they can cower in the corner like they did in the 90s
kixofmyg0t
October 19, 2011 at 3:03pm
Funny, iOS 5's pull down notifications menu is directly stolen from Android. Apple doesn't care why should Google?
thetechchild
October 19, 2011 at 8:42pm
Because all corporations are aggressive and unreasonable sharks who want money, and lawsuits provide it easy, with a bunch of indirect benefits too. Apple's notorious "file lawsuit first" is simply making Google and Samsung think twice, seeing as Apple has won a number of patent suits.
