Google has accused rivals of waging a "hostile, organized campaign" against its mobile operating system Andoid, using "bogus patents". Google chief legal officer David Drummond made the comments in a posting on the company's blog, pointing the finger at Microsoft, Apple, Oracle and others. He said the competitors were using dubious patent claims to try and impose a "tax" on Android devices, making them more expensive. This includes the recent acquisitions of patents held by Novell and Nortel by industry consortia, outbidding Google; Microsoft's attempts to collect licensing fees for patents related to Android; and patent suits against Android device makers such as Barnes & Noble, HTC, Motorola and Samsung. Drummond said the patent battles were being used as a weapon to stop innovation, while also driving up the cost of patented technology. However he expects the "patent bubble" will pop, as the law prohibits the accumulation of patents for anti-competitive purposes. Reports have already suggested that the acquisition of the Nortel patents by the so-called RockStar consortium including Apple and Ericsson is under investigation in the US amid concerns the new owners may restrict licensing. Drummond said Google was encouraged by the Department of Justice investigation into the Nortel patents as well as its forced licensing terms for the Novell patents. The company is also "looking at other ways to reduce the anti-competitive threats against Android by strengthening our own patent portfolio", he said. While he did not provide further details on how Google plans to fight the alleged threat, he said the company thought it was "was important to speak out and make it clear that we're determined to preserve Android as a competitive choice for consumers, by stopping those who are trying to strangle it".
