Has a new front opened up in the patent wars? Nokia is making growly noises about Google using its WiFi IP in its new Nexus tablet. By Ian Scales.
Last week Google announced its Nexus 7 tablet, built for it by Asus and running the latest "Jelly Bean" Android OS. This week Nokia has been wondering out loud why it hasn't been approached by either Google or Asus about licencing the WiFi technology it's certain Google must be using in its new 'halo' device (which, of course competes with a certain 'Surface' product just announced by Nokia partner, Microsoft).
It's difficult at this stage to work out what is happening here.
Nokia claims more than 40 other companies have already licensed its "standards essential patent portfolio" to clear the way for them using standard WiFi in their devices.
Google and Asus clearly know that Nokia holds standards essential patents (how could you produce a WiFi-only device without giving this a thought?), but unless there is a clerical error (the check is delayed in accounts, perhaps), or unless - or perhaps because - Google is going to claim that it has avoided using any Nokia technology, it may be that Google is throwing down a gauntlet as part of a broader patent struggle.
In the wacky world of the patently absurd, nothing can be ruled out.
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