In the wake of Apple's Friday blockbuster legal victory over Samsung, experts were quick to call the ruling a major blow against the Android ecosystem as a whole.
Laptopmag.com analyst Avi Greengart said Microsoft -- not Apple -- could emerge as the biggest winner, while a cornucopia of commentary articles across the Web pondered what the ruling could mean in Apple's battles against HTC, Motorola and others. Is this the beginning of the end for Android?
As the weekend progressed, Google's silence about the case was deafening. Then, late Sunday night, the company released an official statement to several industry publications.
Unfortunately, Google didn't say much, limiting it to just a few sentences.
"The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don't relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office," the company said.
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"The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don't want anything to limit that."
Compare that to Samsung's strongly worded statement about the verdict, which called the ruling "a loss for the American consumer."
"It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products," Samsung said.
"This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer."
One thing is for certain: the appeals process should sure be interesting … as should Apple's next move if the verdict is upheld.
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