Google loses linux patent case, fined $5M

Google has lost the suit filed by Bedrock Computer Technologies in June 2009. Yahoo, MySpace, Amazon, PayPal, Match.com, and AOL were also among the companies against whom the patent infringement act was filed upon. The suit was for the violation of Patent 5,893,120, detailing "methods and apparatus for information storage and retrieval using a hashing technique with external chaining and on-the-fly removal of expired data." 


The piece of Linux kernel under question was found as the underlying software in Google's servers. Six months after Bedrock sued Google, the former was sued by Red Hat for making false claims of the patent. Red Hat is the company which provides the software for Google's Search services.


"Many companies using Linux have already been required by the patent holder to pay royalties, and many more will now, based on this jury verdict, elect to pay.", patent and IP activist Florian Mueller wrote on his blog.


CNET news reports that the Android mobile operating system could also come under some trouble since it's based on linux as well.

Google's spokesperson, pertaining to the issue said, "companies are forced to pay millions of dollars defending old, questionable patent claims, and wasting resources that would be much better spent investing in new technologies for users and creating jobs". Yes that may very well be true, but when Google encourages innovation at home, it must learn to do so outside as well.



(via CNET and engadget)