Purdue University lawsuit says Google copied smartphone technology

The Google brand is pictured at the entrance to the Google workplaces in London, Britain January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

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University’s patent covers tech for repairing computer software code
Criticism suggests Google engineer copied code for Android software program

(Reuters) – Purdue University’s Purdue Investigate Basis has sued Google LLC in Texas federal court docket, alleging that Android program for eradicating programming problems in smartphones copies areas of its professors’ creation.

The basis requested the U.S. District Courtroom for the Western District of Texas for royalties and an undisclosed sum of revenue damages on Tuesday dependent on Google’s alleged willful patent infringement.

The grievance mentioned two professors and two pupils at the West Lafayette, Indiana university invented the patented technological know-how, which detects software program programming glitches that could have an impact on a mobile device’s electric power management.

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Purdue stated that right after a Google engineer posted an write-up about a person of the professors in an Android forum in 2012, yet another Google engineer discovered and integrated code disclosed by the inventors into Android software.

Purdue gained the patent in 2019. The university stated it despatched Google a detect of infringement past August, but the enterprise carries on to use the patented code.

A Purdue spokesperson stated in a Wednesday statement that the study basis tried to meet with Google for weeks, but the firm refused “reasonable conditions” for a conference.

The spokesperson said Google infringes multiple additional Purdue patents, and the college will amend its grievance to increase them if Google “proceeds to refuse to negotiate a license.”

Google spokesperson José Castañeda stated Wednesday that the company develops its products independently, and that it was reviewing the criticism and would “vigorously” defend by itself.

The scenario is Purdue Study Foundation v. Google LLC, U.S. District Courtroom for the Western District of Texas, No. 6:22-cv-00119.

For Purdue: Michael Shore and Alfonso Chan of Shore Chan, Mark Siegmund of Steckler Wayne Cochran Cherry

For Google: n/a

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Blake Brittain

Washington-based mostly correspondent masking courtroom cases, trends, and other developments in intellectual home regulation, such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade tricks. Prior practical experience at Bloomberg Legislation, Thomson Reuters Realistic Legislation and operate as an legal professional.

FARMLAND, Ind. — Harvest time is here but the work doesn’t stop for farmers when the crops leave the field, in some ways it begins anew.

Hoosier farmers are busy this week dodging raindrops while planting cover crops like radishes, wheat and oats. This lineup of winter produce helps keep the soil, and the nutrients within, in place until next year.

Purdue University is using drones to do what tractors cannot, as they say the future of agriculture may be above the ground.

“I think this drone is absolutely amazing,” Purdue Extension Precision AG Educator Mark Carter said. “We use it for spreading seeds. Use it for spraying pesticides, herbicides. We can do it in a very precise manner. It’s very controlled.”

Remote controlled, Purdue University employs nearly 25 drones throughout Indiana at various AG Centers. Each drone can carry roughly 25 pounds of seed or liquid which is then programmed and spread throughout any given field.

“You think about the first tractor that pulled something without horses… that was technology,” Carter said. “This is just the next step. We have digital agriculture where we’re mapping everything, we’re tracking every acre and immediately we started seeing some different results.”

With the help of their eight-propellered implements, farmers can plot their fields, plant more precisely and get a real time view of what’s typically reserved for birds.

“Real time information can let you know if you have any issues emerging… whether it’s disease or insects, weeds or water issues,” Carter said. “You can see it from up high. and you don’t need a bunch of fancy software, you just fly up and take a look and see what’s there.”

While most newer tractors are equipped with satellite technology which allows them to be precise to the nearest inch, these often, self driving tractors, still come up short when the weather’s wet.

“The fields are so muddy that if we put a tractor in there right now it’s gonna sink. It’s gonna rut up the field. It’s gonna make a big mess,” Carter said. “The beautiful thing about this technology with the drones is I’m spreading cover crops today where as we couldn’t get the tractor and the drill in to plant the cover crop even if we waited a few days… and the weather today is favorable for planting – why waste time?”

If time is money then Carter says farmers should be all ears.

“Every dollar counts, our seasons aren’t always the longest and the weather is always a variable so every minute counts,” Carter said. “Our margins are thin that’s why it all really matters.”

At Purdue University’s Davis Purdue AG Center along County Road 900 West in Farmland, a few miles northeast of Muncie; educators like Carter and AG-Center Superintendent Jeff Boyer take the time to test new technology so hardworking producers don’t have to.

Tag: Purdue