Google, like many other companies, especially manufacturers of Android devices, wants patent reform. Over the last few years, things have really gotten out of control with Apple going forward full force with trying to completely remove phones and tablets off the market.
With that said, it’s very easy to look at a company such as Apple as the bad guy and the one to put all the blame on. However, they’re not 100% responsible for the entire patent system mess. Their patents, no matter how abstract or likely done before as we’ve already seen, had to be approved first by the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the European Patent Office.
Either way, Google is getting tired of all the back and forth and feels it’s stifling innovation. Google’s own public policy director Pablo Chavez said that they’re currently looking at the patent system and if it’s actually the right system to have place. He also went on to say that patent wars are not helpful to consumers and not helpful to innovation.
Patents have a 20 year shelf life and the tech giant thinks that should be shortened, there should be large financial penalties to patent trolls that lose lawsuits, and abstract concepts shouldn’t be able to patented in the first place. Google is really pushing for patent reform and change within the industry. Unfortunately, this will be a long battle as so many companies rely off of their patents, no matter how big or small.
They don’t just have the government to rally and get behind them, but companies as well. And sadly with how our political system is set up, if anything was to go in front of Congress, these large companies against any sort of patent reform *cough* Apple, could simply lobby members of Congress. It’s hard for some to vote against something when they’ve got a bunch of money dangling in front of them.