Google Sued over use of Android name

Google and around 45 other companies are being sued over the name given to "Android", the open-source mobile phone operating system.

Erich Specht, who trades in the US as the Android Data Corp and the Android's Dungeon was given trademark rights to Android five years ago by the US Patent and Trademark Office and has since developed software and applications under the name. Google attempted to achieve similar rights in October 2007, a month prior to the launch of its operating system, but this was rejected by the Patent and Trademark Office in February 2008. The Patent and Trademark Office reasoning for the denial was simple: Since both Google and Specht were involved in the development of software and related services, "consumers are likely to conclude that the goods are related and originate from a single source."

In the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court, Erich Specht is seeking nearly $100 million in damages for trademark infringement. Motorola, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba are among the 45 companies involved in this case. They are all part of Google's Open Handset Alliance, which backs the Android operating system.

If verdict turns out in favor of Specht, Google would be forced to rebrand its mobile OS.