Google has settled with the FTC, avoiding antitrust penalties by agreeing to license standard-essential patents to rivals without threat of injunctions, and to remove restrictions on online advertising, though the concessions aren’t enough to placate activists. As part of the agreement, Google will be forced to license the standard-essential Motorola Mobility patents on FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms to any rival that requests them, after fears that the search giant might use its acquired IP to bludgeon competitors with extortionate licensing fees else run the risk of expensive and limiting injunction proceedings.
Google settles FTC antitrust suit
Does FRAND have no actual meaning? It sounds like the FTC is making Google license its FRAND patents in a fair and non-discriminatory way. Wasn’t that the way they were SUPPOSED to license them BECAUSE they are FRAND?
Wow, Google agrees to do what the law and their standards agreements said they had to do anyway! What a concession!
Billy! Stop hitting your sister!
(mumble) ok mom…
Hey! Don’t go trying to insert logic into these things, haven’t you learned anything from these patent cases!?!
15 billion well spent, Google.
Good.