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Before there was the Bing fiasco with the Samsung Fascinate on Verizon there was the misinterpreted deal Motorola struck with Skyhook. Many thought it would spell out the end of Google Maps on Moto handsets, but here we sit a few months later and that isn’t the case, and it looks like a lot of that had to do with Google. Skyhook is the developer of a technology called XPS that allows for quick mobile location using a combination of GPS, WiFi, and cellular data, a service Moto wanted to use to improve the GPS awareness of their Android products.
Turns out Google still wanted their location technology in Moto’s handsets as well, and while they were willing to let both services live peacefully within the depths of Android handsets Google even went as far as to put “stop ship” orders on devices leaving Motorola using only Skyhook. Now Skyhook is claiming that thanks to Google Motorola shipped a device without any of their XPS technology on board, costing the company millions upon millions of dollars in the process. Motorola and Google have yet to comment on the suit.
[via BGR]
seriously… Everyone is hating on Google
Burden is in the proof. “Millions upon millions,” how many phones are we talking about? Seriously, that seems over inflated.
This is asinine. Google maps is a part of Android’s core feature group. If a company wants Android, they get the core features and can add their flavor in *addition* to it, not *instead* of it. Seems to me that their beef is with manufacturers.
just another moneygrab, everyone wants to attack google
Recall a few years ago when a woman sued mcdonalds for soiling hot coffee on HERSELF! And got wealthy from being stupid..? Then hostess got sued for making kids fat then mcdonalds again for making america fat, well, this is the trickle down effect just in the corporate world. Google had the money, consumer base, market growth, future infrastructure, etc. all these money mongers are simply ‘suing twinkies’ there are a lot and they are rediculous. And I’m sure they’ll keep coming. The bastard step child google cruised paths with twenty years ago wants pay of there lottery winnings
Okay I’m done with swype. Its spelling SUCKS
Different sites report the same story it in different ways (don’t know who is giving the correct facts), according to phonescoop.com (source of BGR, which happens to be the source of phandroid article), “Google has called Motorola and said that Google would not approve of any Motorola Android phones that shipped with Skyhook’s technology”.. It says nothing about Google allowing Skyhook services to coexist alongside Google services. If thats the case then Skyhook has grounds for suing. But if Google did allow skyhook services to be installed on Motorola devices then the fault is with Motorola for dishonoring their agreement with Skyhook.
@evo2droidx: Doesn’t it just make you sick how our judicial system here works? I work with a lady who is retired from the local PD here and we were talking once about how if someone breaks into YOUR house and THEY get hurt, they can sue YOU. It makes no sense! There should be no base whatsoever for a case like that! So I guess you can say that your house should be safe for burglars not from burglars. You can probably lose more from getting sued than from the stuff they steal.
@PhoenixFx: I think you are wrong. Skyhook does not have the grounds to sue because Google cannot prevent Motorola from releasing Android Phones. Google however has requirements for what a “with Google” phone is, which may include the use of their Google Maps technology. This can be seen as anti-competitive practices at best; however, that is also destined for failure.
@kidphat Actually, when Apple didn’t let anyone use an ad sevice but iAd, that was seen as anti-trust, and a lawsuit was brought up on it. Look at the latest updates, iOS now allows for admob to be used as well. This is the same thing in a different spectrum. I love Google, but this just isnt right. Being open allows OEM’s to load what ever they want, whether that be Bing or Skyhook.
I’m calling Anti-trust on this instance
skyhook is retarded. if they seriously wanted to be on android they should have put their app in the market and made it an available download to buy or something. Another app companies are trying to push on you that you don’t even want like Motoblur. If anything make it a downloadable thing in the market.
@reap
Don’t believe skyhook is an app like google maps but a set of APIs to get location that impact all location services on a device…so no, they can’t just put it on the market like an app.
Now I could have sworn some news came out MONTHS ago about this skyhook thing and everybody bitched and moaned because they thought Moto was going to replace Google’s services. But then it came out that this was basically API’s that may have handled location stuff better and everybody seemed ok. So I’m not sure why Google would force them to not allow it on the phones. They were supposed to work side by side.
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At any rate I’m starting to get aggravated in general with every company trying to get in on the success by plugging their apps and services in place. Do they not realize that if we wanted their stuff we may have bought it in the first place. People like the phones many times because of the Google services. All their doing is wrecking the train.
@Jamerson90: It’s not the same thing. Apple was prohibiting use of competing services on a device they manufacture, using a OS they developed. Google withholding their seal of approval on a device in now way prevented Motorola from shipping or selling devices.
The problem here is that google push the fact that they are open as oppose to ios, but at the same time denying services that seem a threat to this bottom line. Deceptive at the least. This isn’t ios or BB which are proprietary. People on this site always mention more competition is good for innovation and choose android for it openness and fairness, this isn’t following that model. If we let start letting google get away with things, like when is it going to end? How are they different from the Microsoft of old. Guess the day of “no evil” are over. No evil until we are in control, typical.
I love Swype. Using it right now. :)
What I don’t get is how soneones can say Google is in the wrong when nothing has een proven. Noting has been proven right? If the answer is no then you alls need to chill until you know what is the real story. On a side note though all these sue stories coming at Google can not all hold water…Im sure…
If Motorola had a deal with Google to have Google Maps on their handsets then yes, Google can call for a “stop ship” as Motorola would have been breaking their contract. We’ve seen AT&T cripple an Android phone so we know that Motorola has every right to put Skyhook on their phones if they’d wanted to. Skyhook should be going after Motorola if they want to be going after anybody not for anti-competitiveness but for breach of contract (if there was one).