Hence the patent suit against HTC. That’s all about Google — about creating a situation where Android is no longer a free operating system for handset makers in the U.S., because the cost of using it is an expensive legal defense against Apple.
Wow. That quote from Gruber makes so much sense. That’s why you sue HTC, not Google. Google might give away its operating system for free, but if it ends up costing millions in legal fees, maybe Microsoft’s licensing is a better option for companies like HTC, Motorola, etc., after all.
Of course, with Microsoft’s new OS using a lot of the same UI ideas that Android does (multitouch and whatnot), it may not pay to use Windows Phone 7, either. Apple could just as easily sue you for that. So what phone OS is left for these companies to target?
This is going to get really interesting. I’m still not sure that the media isn’t playing the whole “War between Google and Apple” up quite a bit, just because sensationalism sells, but there’s definitely some small amount of fire to go along with all this smoke.
