The latest patent war: BT vs Google

Just in case there were any technology lawyers left who needed a bit of Christmas cheer with a new caseload, BT has become the latest telecoms company to get litigious in the season of goodwill.

In a year more likely to be remembered for court battles than for the relatively unexciting technological advances made (faster, bigger, shinier, but nothing to really write home about), the old man of the tech mountains BT has lumbered into the fray to try and take its piece of pie from Google.

As reported over at the Foss Patents blog on Sunday, BT has followed the likes of Apple, Microsoft, eBay, Oracle and Gemalto to bring patent litigation against the search giant over the Android operating system.

BT is seeking damages and an injunction over what it claims are six patent infringements Google has refused to pay for. The document, filed in the US, reads, "BT brings this action to recover the just compensation it is owed and to prevent Google from continuing to benefit from BT's inventions without authorisation".

Foss Patents goes on to suggest that, if Google continues to face – and then lose – this kind of legal battle it may be forced to change the way it runs its licensing model for the Android operating system.

BT has clearly done its homework: it is taking Google to task over aspects of Google Music, Google Maps, Google Search, Google Places, Google Offers, Google Plus, Google Books, Google Market… you get the idea.

While many are quick to put the boot into BT, especially in terms of UK home broadband, it is hard to argue with its historical record on technological innovation. Whether Google is infringing that is for the courts to decide, but in these litigious times you certainly can’t blame it for trying. We just hope the courts force it to spend all the profits on rural broadband expansion.