Google is fighting to protect its Android and Nexus brands against Apple- and Microsoft-backed patent consortium Rockstar.
Three months after Rockstar sued Google and a number of its Android partners for patent infringement, the search giant filed a countersuit claiming that Rockstar has "placed a cloud" over Google's popular operating system.
At issue are seven patents, which range from mobile hotspot functionality to messaging and notifications, and location services to VPN management, GigaOM reported this week. Google has denied any infringement by itself or its third-party partners.
"Rockstar's litigation campaign has placed a cloud on Google's Android platform; threatened Google's business and relationships with its customers and partners, as well as its sales of Nexus-branded Android devices," a court filing said.
Google claimed that the consortium has been harassing a host of California-based organizations by stating that companies like Facebook and LinkedIn, among others, infringe on Rockstar's patents.
Citing reports from unnamed sources, Google also said that Rockstar contacted and met with California-based companies "in order to discourage them from continuing to use Google's Android platform in their devices, and to interfere with Google's business relationships."
The Rockstar Consortium - which includes Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, and Sony - also filed suit against Asus, HTC, Huawei, LG, Pantech, Samsung, and ZTE, all of which offer Android-heavy lineups. The firms are accused of infringing on patents that Rockstar acquired in 2011 from Nortel, which cover wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, Internet, service provider, semiconductors, and other patent portfolios.
Rockstar did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.
According to Monday's filing, Google is hoping for a jury's declaration that its Android platform and Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 devices do not infringe on any of the seven patents cited by Rockstar in litigation against the search giant.
"We are committed to defending the Android ecosystem," a Google spokesman told PCMag in an email.