With Google, There Will Be Bad Blood

MG Siegler has been writing for TechCrunch since 2009. He covers the web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, in substance everything. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch, he covered various research beats for VentureBeat.Originally from Ohio, MG attended the University of Michigan. He’s before lived in Los Angeles where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where... → Learn More

“Microsoft and Apple have always been at each other's throats, so when they get into bed at the same time you have to start wondering what’s going on,” Google Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, wrote this week when accusing those two companies of trying to destroy Android. And he’s right. Afterwards decade of being bitter rivals, Apple and Microsoft now seem to have aligned interests. However you don’t have to wonder what’s going on, it’s very apparent: they both hate Google.

The two recently teamed up to screw Google out of the Nortel patents, spending billions to make that happen. And previously that, they attempted to do the same with the Novell patents. Then up for the dynamic duo: the InterDigital patents. Apple is all the same exploring acquiring them, and don’t be surprised if Microsoft is right there to help once again, to ensure Google doesn’t get them.

All of this is moreover interesting when you consider that it was once Apple and Google who were closely aligned. And it was a common vision that brought them at the same time as so then - appropriately, the end of the Microsoft-dominated computing world.

The two got so close

The two got so close, that Google at that time-CEO Eric Schmidt even joined Apple’s board of directors. And Google was instrumental in helping create some of the early applications for the iPhone. It seemed like the two would team up to take down the carriers at once.

Then things got very complicated when it became clear that Android and the iPhone would in the near future become very direct competitors. The rest has been history.

But during Apple and Microsoft have been the two highest profile Google combatants in recent months, they’re far from the only ones.

Google antagonist is Oracle

At least such as big of a Google antagonist is Oracle. During the Apple and Microsoft lawsuits against Android threaten to disrupt the platform and/or make it more expensive, Oracle’s lawsuit threatens to destroy it. Oracle is suing Google over the unlicensed use of Java in Android - its core.

If one of two damning emails are allowed to be used as evidence, it sure looks like Google could be in some serious trouble. Those emails appear to extend the idea of Google’s arrogance. As Android chief Andy Rubin wrote in a 2005 email, “If Sun doesn’t want to work with us, we have two options: 1) Abandon our work and adopt MSFT CLR VM and C# language – or – 2) Do Java in any case and defend our decision, maybe making enemies along the way.”

Amazon and Google are as well increasingly at odds with one another. Amazon is about to enter the tablet space in a big way later this year - and they’ll be doing so with their own flavor of Android. They as well have a competing Android app store. And during this may seem like Amazon entering Google’s space, remember that Google went afterwards Amazon first. During Google hasn’t as a matter of fact be able to compete in the cloud storage and services businesses so far, it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.

In my view, this stems from Google’s desire to do everything - which could threaten the company for other reasons. Once just a search company, they now actively compete with Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Yelp, Groupon, Color, Path - again, just to rattle off a few.

Obviously, it’s Google’s right to do what they think is best for the company. And undoubtedly they have the money to take on all of these different projects. However the alienation of other companies - many of which were former allies - isn’t helping them. And if any of these Android lawsuits - bullshit or not - go through, or if they fail to in the end obtain the patents necessary to protect themselves, Google could find themselves in serious trouble. And if that happens, will anyone be around to lend them a hand?