Apple vs. Samsung: How Google's Helping Samsung

By Barbara E. Hernandez

| Friday, Aug 10, 2012 | Updated 2:34 PM PDT

View Comments (

)

Apple vs. Samsung: How Google's Helping Samsung

Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 11: Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address at the Apple 2012 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) at Moscone West on June 11, 2012 in San Francisco, California. Apple unveiled a slew of new hardware and software updates at the company's annual developer conference which runs through June 15. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Google is allegedly keeping a low profile but still helping out its Android partner Samsung during the Apple vs. Samsung patent infringement lawsuit, it was reported today.

Google has been quietly lending support, legal advice and research to Samsung, according to CNET, which cited unnamed sources. CNET also stated that many of its Android partners use Google's law firm Quinn Emanuel -- including Samsung:

The firm representing Samsung has become Google's law firm of choice in matters of intellectual property. Quinn Emanuel lawyers have represented the search company in numerous patent and copyright cases. . . . Quinn Emanuel attorney Charles Verhoeven, one of the lead lawyers for Samsung, is also representing HTC and Motorola, two of Google's Android partners, in patent litigation brought against them by Apple.

Apple filed a patent infringement lawsuit last year against Samsung, accusing the South Korean company of copying its iPhone and iPad.

If the reports are true, analysts said Google will not want to appear as an Apple opponent.

"Google will want to stay away from this trial as much as possible," Neil Shah, an analyst at Strategy Analytics told CNET. "They don't want to directly confront Apple."

Google does have a dog in this fight, however, because Apple's lawsuits are attempting to gain an advantage over the Android platform -- despite the Android platform dominating the smartphone market. According to ComScore, Android phones are more than half of the smartphone market. However, Google also doesn't want to directly take on the deep-pocketed Apple just yet -- that's for another bigger and longer fight -- but stopping the Cupertino, Calif. company from always winning against its smaller and less-profitable partners also benefits Google.