Following Apple’s $1 billion victory against Samsung in the recent patent case, Google has now released a statement on the verdict, attempting to distance the Samsung verdict from its own Android platform, which runs on all of Samsung’s devices.
Some of the patents within the lawsuit, such as Apple’s rubber-band scrolling patent, do involve Android. Google’s full statement reads as follows (via The Verge):
The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don’t relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office. The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don’t want anything to limit that.
It’s worth noting that Samsung is the largest Android device manufacturer in the U.S., and Apple’s victory against Samsung will make it easier for the company to pursue other Android device makers as well. Steve Jobs waged thermonuclear war on Android before he passed, and it looks like Apple is beginning to bring that to fruition!
Despite Google’s soft stance, and tendency to separate themselves from the issue, you can be sure that they’ll be watching very closely as the injunction hearing takes place on September 20, and as appeals to the case unfold over the coming weeks and months.