经济学人下载:谷歌收购摩托罗拉

Google’s takeover of Motorola Mobility

Google收购摩托罗拉移动部分

Patently different

截然不同

The battle in the mobile industry takes an unexpected turn
移动通信行业之争出现意外转折

Aug 20th 2011 | from the print edition
     
WHEN smartphones were still young and computing tablets not yet born, some analysts predicted that the market for mobile devices would sooner or later look much like that for personal computers (PCs): there would be a clear division of labour and intellectual property between makers of hardware and software; a dominant operating system would emerge; and Apple would again become a niche player.

在智能手机初现江湖、平板电脑尚未问世之时，有些分析人士就预言移动通信设备市场迟早会变得和个人电脑PC市场一样：软硬件制造商之间分工明确，拥有各自的知识产权；有一个操作系统会一统江湖；而苹果将再次扮演只做特定群体买卖的角色。

If proof is still needed, Google’s takeover of Motorola Mobility is the strongest sign yet that this will not come to pass, at least in the near future. On the contrary, the mobile-device industry will bear a closer resemblance to its other parent: the market for old-fashioned, voice-only handsets.

不过至少在短期内，这一预言是不会成真了，假如你一定要我给个证据，Google收购摩托罗拉就是最有力的证明。相反，移动设备行业的市场状况倒是会与它的另一位生父更为相似，那就是：只有通话功能的老式手机。

Start with intellectual property. In contrast with PC makers, firms in the telecoms industry have long fought over patents. If such disputes are even more common over today’s mobile devices (see article), it is because they are exceedingly complex and based on intellectual property from many different industries.

先从知识产权说起。与PC制造商相比，电信企业对专利的争夺由来已久，而由于移动设备极其复杂，其知识产权来源于各行各业，知识产权纠纷在今时今日会变得更为普遍。

Gaining control of Motorola’s big patent portfolio will provide Google with ammunition in the ongoing battle between mobile platforms. Android, Google’s operating system for smartphones and other devices, has taken the world by storm. Its global market share is approaching 50% (see chart). Yet Apple and Microsoft have found a way to slow down, and even benefit from Android’s advance: going after makers of smartphones running Android for patent infringements.

将摩托罗拉庞大的专利网收入囊中，这为Google参与激战正酣的移动平台争夺战提供了弹药。Google开发的智能手机及移动设备操作系统安卓Android正席卷全球。其全球市场份额正接近50%（见下图）。不过苹果和微软找到了应对之策，这两家公司甚至还从安卓的发展中受益：状告安卓智能手机制造商专利侵权。