BT says Android and more violate its patents

British Telecom has continued its legal campaigns in technology by suing Google for allegedly infringing on its patents in an action filed on Thursday. The Delaware-based complaint, caught by Florian Mueller, accused Google of violating six patents for telecoms and navigation through its development of Android, Google Maps, and related services like AdMob, Google+, Places, and even basic search. BT considers the supposed violations "willful" and is asking for tripled damages as a result.

If successful, the lawsuit would call for a ban on any infringements. The scale of the services targeted would force Google to change or take down most of its existing products.

The lawsuit is the fifth from a major, public company targeting Google directly rather than going through its hardware partners. Potentially the most impactful lawsuit until BT's has been one from Oracle. Although it lost some damage claims, it could still make Google pay billions of dollars in past and possibly ongoing licensing fees for using and changing Java for use in Android.

Google hasn't responded to the latest lawsuit. In the Oracle case, it will most likely try to settle after enough evidence has emerged that it knew the patent issues in Android but went ahead without paying Sun or its eventual parent company, Oracle.

By Electronista Staff

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patents, industry, Google, Android, Java, lawsuits, BT, mobile phones, Oracle, AdMob, Google+