In the ongoing "war of the worlds" patent litigation between Apple and Samsung/Google, the Cupertino company has said it will amend its patent infringement claims to include the Galaxy S4. That's according to Foss Patents, which also reports that Apple asserts Google Now infringes two patents associated with Siri. Overall, there are five patents being asserted in the amended Apple pleadings (below). The Siri-related patents are U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604 and U.S. Patent No. 6,847,959, which pertain to a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system." Apple is [...]

Related Topics: Apple | Apple: iOS | Apple: Siri | Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Google: Mobile | Google: Search | Legal: Patents

Within a roughly 48-hour period, Google got two big helpings of bad news. According to the Canadian newspaper Financial Post, the country's Competition Bureau is preparing to launch a formal antitrust investigation into Google's Canadian business operations. The scope and precise focus of the Canadian investigation have not been revealed. Google has a nearly 90 percent search market share in Canada according to StatCounter. Bing and Yahoo combine for less than 10 percent of the market. The other shoe comes from across the Atlantic where a former UK Google employee, Barney Jones, now has [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Legal

You're not supposed to see this video. Unless you work at Microsoft. It's a fake Chrome ad that's part of Microsoft's ongoing "Scroogled" campaign against Google, but it was supposed to remain internal. It appeared first on a blog called iCosmoGeek and has now been picked up by the Los Angeles Times. The Times says it has confirmation from Microsoft that the video was made for internal purposes. The video plays up many of the same charges that Microsoft has been making throughout the Scroogled campaign -- tracking users to target ads, not respecting users' privacy and so forth. He [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google | Google: Business Issues | Google: Chrome | Google: Critics | Microsoft | Microsoft: Business Issues | Top News

Google's prompt closing of Google Reader earlier this year led many users to wonder what products will end up on the chopping block next. Thanks to a study conducted by www.gwern.net predicting Google shut-downs, Ars Technica reports that of all Google products offered over the years, only 35 percent have been terminated. After analyzing data collected on 350 Google products to identify predictive variables, the 35 percent that were shut-down appear to have four similar characteristics: they were not part of an acquisition, they did not generate revenue, they were not related to social netw [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics

The European Commission has made a preliminary determination that Google's Motorola Mobility unit "abused its dominant position" under EU antitrust rules in seeking to obtain and enforce an injunction against Apple in Germany. At the center of the dispute is Motorola's claimed misuse of  "standards essential patents" in mobile patent litigation against Apple. Google's antitrust settlement with the FTC in the US requires the company not to use standards-essential patents to block rival mobile products. The European Commission says that's what Motorola was trying to do in this case. Howe [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Critics | Google: International | Google: Legal | Google: Mobile | Legal | Legal: Antitrust | Legal: Patents | Top News

APR reports Google has been approved in a 10 - 1 vote by the San Jose City Council to lease a private airport terminal for $82 million on the west side of Mineta San Jose International Airport. The agreement is with Signature Flight Services. The only person who voted no was Pierluigi Oliverio who said this would disturb citizens with more flights and is not the best way to raise money for the airport. This will not only make air travel much more convenient for Google, it will bring in $3 million a year in rent for the airport and more airport jobs. Not everyone is happy about thi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: International

Anti-Google lobbying group FairSearch lobbed an antitrust grenade at Google's Android operating system yesterday, complaining to the European Union that it violates competition laws. Unfortunately, this week's release of the HTC First -- the "Facebook Phone" -- may cause the grenade to bounce back at FairSearch. The FairSearch Complaint We covered FairSearch's complaint earlier, that Android is a "Trojan Horse" product that forces makers to include Google products. Actually, what we covered earlier was FairSearch's statement about the complaint. It hasn't released the actual complain [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Facebook: Home | Features & Analysis | Google: Android | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Top News

FairSearch is taking its anti-Google battle to the domain space. The organization -- which is backed by the likes of Microsoft, TripAdvisor, Nokia and other Google competitors -- announced today that it has filed objections with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) over Google's application to own three new generic top-level domains (gTLDs): .search .fly .map Those are three of the more than 100 new gTLDs that Google has applied for as part of ICANN's expansion of the domain space. Here's the crux of FairSearch's objection: FairSearch recently filed [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content Marketing | Domaining | Google | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Microsoft: Business Issues | Top News

The European Commission has made good on its promise last week to fine Microsoft for failing to continue to offer Web browser choice on its PC software through 2014. The Commission imposed a fine of €561 million ($731 million) for not upholding its agreement to offer alternative Web browsers to Windows users. In 2009, Microsoft agreed with the Commission to offer a browser "choice screen" (featuring IE, Firefox, Chrome, etc.) on its Windows PC software to enable consumers to make a browser selection and not simply "choose" IE by default. That choice screen reportedly disappeared in Febr [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Legal: Antitrust | Microsoft | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Windows | Top News

Microsoft has decided it no longer needs to run attack ads on TV, in print and through social media to push its "Scroogled" message against Google's Gmail service. "Everyday Americans" apparently have gotten the word. If so, that's not being reflected in signatures to the Microsoft-backed petition against Gmail. At First, The Petition To Nowhere Last month, I covered how after the first week of its existence, Microsoft's petition was seeing a drop-off in signatures. My story, Microsoft’s “Scroogled” Campaign Against Gmail Wins 0.002% Of Users, has the background. Here's the key cha [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Critics | Google: Gmail | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Outlook | Top News | Uncategorized

While Google's PC search market share may be hovering below 5 percent, Android is the overwhelmingly dominant smartphone operating system in the world's largest mobile market. As a result China may be preparing to take some sort of regulatory action against it. According to a Reuters report the Chinese government released a white paper, through its state-controlled China Academy of Telecommunication Research, that expresses concern about Android's domestic market share. According to figures cited by Reuters Android is on about 90 percent of Chinese smartphones, while iOS has less than 5 [...]

Related Topics: Apple: iOS | Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Android | Google: Critics | Google: Mobile | Legal: Antitrust | Mobile Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Top News

Negative political ads work; that's why we continue to see them. But negative search engine and email ads? Apparently, not so much. Microsoft is reportedly ending buying TV, newspaper and social media ads promoting its "Scroogled" campaign, which was launched in November to attack Google's all-paid-inclusion shopping search results. Earlier this year, the Scroogled campaign expanded to take on Gmail privacy. NOTE: See our postscript below. Microsoft confirms that ad buys are stopping but says the "campaign" will continue -- presumably the web site. The theme of the overall campaign was [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Critics | Microsoft: Business Issues | Top News

There were several reports from late last week indicating that Google is negotiating with major labels in anticipation of the launch of Spotify-like music streaming service. As part of these negotiations, according to the LA Times, "Google is proposing a premium subscription service" on YouTube that would encompass music videos and perhaps audio-only songs. The suggested launch window is fall 2013. A well-executed streaming capability would potentially threaten smaller services such as Spotify or MOG. Apple is also rumored to be preparing a streaming Internet radio competitor to Pand [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Video | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Google: Partnerships | Google: YouTube | Legal: Copyright & Trademark | Top News

When it comes to the issue of privacy, it seems that Google and Europe are on opposite sides of an ocean, metaphorically speaking. Reuters reports this morning that frustrated European authorities "plan to take action" against Google for its failure to satisfy them regarding its consolidated privacy policy. Google has maintained that its privacy policy conforms to all European laws and regulations. Privacy regulators from France and across Europe have heavily criticized the "consolidated" Google privacy policy and say it overreaches. However, they've stopped short of declaring it "illegal." [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Google: Privacy | Legal: Privacy | Top News

It's been a week since Microsoft went on the attack against Gmail, launching its "Scroogled" campaign portraying Gmail as a privacy monster that reads your emails for ad targeting purposes. How's that been working out? To date, the Microsoft-backed petition against Gmail's practices has gained about over 6,000 signatures -- equal to about 0.002% of Gmail's user base. The Petition To Nowhere At the Scroogled site, Microsoft invites people to sign an online petition. In the week it has been up, it's gathered about 5,600 signatures: That's hardly an overwhelming response, especially consider [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Features & Analysis | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Gmail | Google: Privacy | Legal: Privacy | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Outlook | Microsoft: Privacy | Top News

Attention is being focused on how Google Play -- Google's app and content store -- provides the name, email address and city location of those who purchase apps. Google's privacy policies don't make clear this is happening, something Google probably needs to correct. Personal Info That Google Gives Developers Developer Dan Nolan posted about this issue yesterday, saying that he found that for those who purchased his Paul Keating Insult Generator app on Google Play, he was able to see their email addresses, suburbs (which I'll assume means city names) and in some cases, their full names. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Critics | Google: Google Play | Google: Wallet | Top News

Oracle has filed an appeal in its unsuccessful copyright and patent case against Google involving the Java programming language (specifically Java APIs). Oracle acquired Java when it bought Sun Microsystems several years ago. At trial, Oracle was basically shut out on all its claims. It appears that Oracle is only appealing the copyright portion of the case. The jury originally did find copyright infringement by Google, but also found that Google's selective use of Java in the Android OS constituted "fair use." Fair use is a defense against infringement. The judge in the case, William Al [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Android | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Legal: Copyright & Trademark | Legal: Patents

If at first you don't succeed, get negative once again, seems to be the game plan at Microsoft. Having attacked Google Shopping with a "Scroogled" campaign last November, Microsoft is back again. This time it goes after Gmail as an evil service that invades your email privacy, armed with polling data showing consumer concern -- and perhaps one valid point about an easier opt-out. The Microsoft Survey & Consumer Disapproval Microsoft commissioned a survey of over 1,006 adults in the US from Feb. 1-4, asking about email services that target ads based on the content of your email. You kno [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Features & Analysis | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Gmail | Legal: Privacy | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Outlook | Top News

This past weekend controversy erupted when someone noticed that Google was redirecting traffic from Google Maps (for mobile web) on Windows Phones to Google.com. Immediately the conspiracy theories began to fly. The claim was that Google had just won an antitrust reprieve from the FTC so now the company was sticking it to competitor Microsoft with impunity. We agree that it looked bad -- and the conspiracy theory made for a sexy and provocative story -- however it simply wasn't accurate. Danny Sullivan wrote an in-depth article about what happened. Google itself offered a number of sli [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Android | Google: Critics | Google: Maps | Google: Mobile | Mobile Marketing | Top News

Amid multiple antitrust investigations around the world, I'm not sure he wanted to suggest that Google was the new Microsoft. But that's the analogy that Google Chairman Eric Schmidt used in his discussion of Android's growth and increasing lead over the iPhone. Quoted in a Bloomberg article Schmidt said the following: Booming demand for Android-based smartphones is helping Google add share at the expense of other software providers, Schmidt said yesterday in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York . . . Customers are activating more than 1.3 million Android devices a day, [...]

Related Topics: Apple: iOS | Apple: iPhone | Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Android | Google: Critics | Legal: Antitrust