patents

The ghost of Nortel, whose 6000+ telecoms patents Apple, Microsoft, RIM, Ericsson and Sony bought for $4.5bn in 2011 and resurrected as a no-asset company called Rockstar Bidco, has sued Google and Android smartphone makers in six Texas patent infringement suits [ArsTechnica]

Shoot the patent lawyer? SpicyIP analyses the California jury’s “confusing” Apple v Samsung smartphone verdict that awarded Apple more than $1bn in damages. Conclusion: “The only clear winners here seem to be the patent lawyers and it is certainly a good time to be one.” Click here to read Spicy’s analysis of the verdict and what it means.

A week ago Google said it was fed up of the patent war, while one of the architects of the internet, Vint Cerf, quipped last year: “Shoot the patent lawyers”, when asked about the Next Big Thing. Any thoughts?