Google Reluctantly Joins Patent Craze

Internet giant Google today announced it is taking an “if-you-can’t-beat-’em, join ’em” attitude on patents and innovation by moving defensively to boost its patent portfolio.

“The patent system should reward those who create the most useful innovations for society, not those who stake bogus claims or file dubious lawsuits,” Google’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel Kent Walker said on the Official Google Blog today. “But as things stand today, one of a company’s best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services.”

As a step, Google has bid on the patent portfolio of bankrupt telecommunications company Nortel, and says its bid will be the starting point for any others. According to press reports like this one, their opening bid is $900 million dollars for some 6,000 patents.

“If successful, we hope this portfolio will not only create a disincentive for others to sue Google, but also help us, our partners and the open source community – which is integrally involved in projects like Android and Chrome – continue to innovate,” Walker said. “In the absence of meaningful reform, we believe it’s the best long-term solution for Google, our users and our partners.”