Many of Google Inc.’s tech-world rivals were not pleased when the Federal Trade Commission ended a 19-month investigation of the technology giant in January by concluding that it hadn’t violated antitrust laws in the way it operated its Internet search engine. But Google did not walk away completely absolved of guilt, and the consent order it signed to make further investigation and potential penalties disappear could leave an important mark in the patent world.
Some patent experts and legal scholars viewed the agreement as a positive step, saying that it answered questions and clarified issues about standard essential patents (SEPs) that had been confusing and unclear. "I think the agreement is really productive and will help reduce the confusion and uncertainty that currently surrounds how SEPs can be used," Colleen Chien, an IP professor at Santa Clara University Law School and an expert on patents, said in an email.
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