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back to article Sniff, sniff, what's that burning smell? Oh, it's Google's patent-filing office working flat out

Google, perhaps as sick as we are of the ongoing patent wars, spent last year furiously filling its technology war chest – with new designs rubber-stamped by the US patent office, according to research published by The Financial Times. The study, syndicated by The Australian Financial Review here, was created by patent tracker …

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  1. Turtle

    Wearables.

    "Google's awarded patents also reflect its enthusiasm for the wearable business."

    Oh sure, that patent "for a method of using wearable technology to proclaim to world that the wearer is an 'ass-hat'".

    Many tech companies will want to license that!

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      how many patents now?

      Who has the most patents now? what a messed up competition! I reckon it's Ibm, microsoft then google, does anyone know the numbers?

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      1. Anonymous Coward
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        Anonymous Coward

        Re: how many patents now?

        IBM 1st,

        Microsoft 6th,

        Google 21st,

        This is for filed in US in 2012. What are the total numbers for each that have been filed?

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        1. Euripides Pants
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          Coat

          Re: IBM 1st

          So do I, but that's because I wake up and have my morning coffee before the wife does.

          Mine's the one with Uncle John's Bathroom Reader in the pocket.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Wearables.

      technology to proclaim to world that the wearer is an 'ass-hat'

      I think apple already has a patent on that

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  2. Blarkon

    Come out as a defender of net neutrality - and then abandon those principles. Decry patents, and then patent everything in sight.

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    1. as2003
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      don't be [caught doing] evil

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    2. ratfox
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      Patent everything in sight

      In case you haven't noticed, Google's nice principles of not patenting things and hoping not to get sued by other corporations has worked a bit like a country saying peace is better than war, choosing not to have an army, and hoping not to get attacked: not really well.

      At least, Google has not initiated a patent fight with anyone so far (though it has kept alive the lawsuits started by Motorola before its acquisition).

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    3. James Hughes 1
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      @blaarkon

      So, what would you do? I would put money that Google don;t want to do this and it's been forced on them by competitors who cannot compete on skill alone.

      Google had no choice. They need to be able to fight this unnecessary war, and this sort of thing is the only ammo they have.

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      1. Turtle
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        @ James Hughes 1

        "I would put money that Google don;t want to do this and it's been forced on them by competitors who cannot compete on skill alone."

        You're probably right: Google would certainly prefer if they could steal their competitors' IP, trade dress, and patents with impunity.

        "Google had no choice."

        Yeah, because the only other options were either to not steal their competitors' IP or license those things that their competitors were willing to license. And having a choice between not using their competitors' IP, stealing their competitors' IP, or licensing and paying money to use their competitors" IP, the Google Way is clear: steal and dare them to sue.

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  3. Cliff

    Rubber stamp

    ...with new designs rubber-stamped by the US patent office...

    'Waved through', more like. I think USPTO has just given up TBH.

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  4. P. Lee

    It Is Time

    We need hardware split from software.

    Develop the base software and allow us to download themes (including animations) from the far flung corners of the globe. Like Finland.

    Many of these problems then just go away.

    Oh, yes, I want to slide to unlock, just to annoy you-know-who!

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    1. returnmyjedi
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      Voldemort?

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    oh dear 2000 more to read

    At 10 minutes each (to scan them only) that's 20,000 minutes. That's over 8 weeks, just in case I write a bit of software that does something similar. How am I or is anyone surposed to work in this environment?

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: oh dear 2000 more to read

      Don't read them! Nobody does. If you read them, you'll find that you can do absolutely nothing without infringing something, and then any damages in a lawsuit would be tripled. Far better to see nothing, hear nothing, and hope Google does not consider you a threat.

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      1. Mike Smith
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        Or alternatively...

        ... just base yourself outside the USA and don't sell to Americans.

        After all, there are a lot more people outside the USA than within it.

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  6. Crisp

    Sounds like a Patent Denial of Service Attack

    With Google flooding the patent office with requests, it should prevent other patent trolls from being able to get a successful request through.

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  7. PaulR79

    Notification bar patent?

    Has the patent for the notification bar been granted yet? I imagine Apple would be rather worried about that one given that they blatantly ripped it off when they realised they ancient notification system was not good enough.

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