Major phone manufacturers are praising the decision of Google to buy Motorola for $12.5 billion, with the likes of HTC, Sony Ericsson and LG all seeing the purchase as an indication of defence of the Android family.
The snapping up of Motorola is fairly clearly Google's major play in the ongoing patent battle, with Moto's 14,600 phone patents (and a further 6,700 patent pending) giving it a huge leg up against the likes of Microsoft and Apple.
Google has recently declared its anger at two of its rivals banding together to buy patents in what is claims is a "hostile, organized campaign against Android".
The purchase of Motorola could well represent a turning point in the dispute, and the major manufacturers appear to see it the same way.
Defending Android
"We welcome the news of today's acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.
JK Shin, CEO of Samsung Mobile, said something similar: "We welcome today's news, which demonstrates Google's deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem."
"I welcome Google's commitment to defending Android and its partners," stated Bert Nordberg President & CEO of Sony Ericsson.
"We welcome Google's commitment to defending Android and its partners." Jong-Seok Park President & CEO of LG Electronics echoed.
The statements have been published on a page on Google's press site – and it remains to be seen if other members of the Android 'family' will add their own input.
Just don't hold your breath for Nokia praise.
