Big news in the Smartphone Wars: Google and Apple have settled their patent disputes.
This is unequivocally a good thing. As we’ve written a number of times (see here, here, and here), the smartphone patent wars have been sucking away resources and doing nothing to improve products for consumers. With luck, the Samsung-Apple lawsuits will soon settle as well.
Both Apple and Google deserve kudos here. As a former litigator myself, I know how hard it is to put aside all the tension and bad feelings that build up over the course of protracted litigation. We’re still talking about human beings, and both companies showed that they’re led by people who are willing to do what’s right for the industry.
Another important benefit is that the two companies can join forces on patent reform, which is still critical. Apple is the most frequent victim of patent trolls, with Google not far behind. With the Senate busily working on patent reform, their cooperation cannot come too soon.
These are two great companies who have created incredible technological revolutions that we all enjoy. Now, they can get back to doing what they do best, which will only be good for us, the consumers.
