Microsoft, Google vs. GeoTag: Patent case unites tech giants |
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Microsoft, Google vs. GeoTag: Patent case unites tech giants
What does it take to bring two technology rivals together? A patent lawsuit, apparently.
Microsoft and Google, or at least their respective lawyers, have set aside their differences long enough to file a joint complaint against a company called GeoTag. Their suit, filed this week, asks the U.S. District Court in Delaware to invalidate the patent that GeoTag has used to sue more than 300 businesses, typically stores using online maps to show their location, according to the complaint.
The suits "have placed a cloud" over Microsoft's and Google's web mapping services by targeting customers of Bing Maps and Google Maps, the complaint says.
Blogger Florian Mueller has compiled a list showing the total number of suits closer to 400.
Geotag, the latest in a series of owners of the patent, has filed for an IPO. Here's a copy of the complaint: PDF, 8 pages.
Coverage: Bloomberg News, TechCrunch, NetworkWorld
Previously on TechFlash: Commentary: Software patents are a distraction
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