British Telecom Jumps On The Bandwagon, Sues Google Over Six Patents Allegedly Infringed By Android, Other Services

British Telecommunications plc (aka British Telecom, or BT) has joined the long list of litigants looking to catch Google on alleged patent infringement, filing a lawsuit with the US District Court for the District of Delaware claiming that Google infringed six of its patents with Android and other services.

BT is out for blood, seeking damages as well as an injunction over patents ranging from "Service Provision System for Communications Networks" to "Storage and Retrieval of Location Based Information in a Distributed Network of Data Storage Services." Among the services named as prime examples of infringement are Google Maps, Places, Offers, Music, Location-based advertising, Google+, and of course Android.
It's worth noting that BT's lawsuit has materialized at a very interesting time. Specifically, it has come about just as Google tries to close its acquisition of Motorola Mobility Inc. It's unclear whether there is a connection here, but the timing is coincidental, if nothing else.
It isn't clear just yet which direction this suit may go, but if Google is made to pay more Android-related royalties on top of existing obligations, FOSS Patents speculates that the search giant may have to pass the expense to manufacturers, which could have a significant impact on Android's progress.
For a complete explanation of BT's claims regarding each of the six patents in question, check out FOSS Patents' post on the subject here.




Source: AndroidPolice