Let’s be honest – everyone loves a good Google controversy – even more so if it comes with a generous helping of saucy internal emails. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, Nilay Patel has meticulously broken down 750 pages of documents released from the court case of Google vs Skyhook into something more digestible. For a mobile nerd like me, this is like Christmas!

To break down something that has already been expertly condensed (thanks again, Nilay!) Google blocked the Skyhook XPS positioning system from shipping with the Motorola Droid X by implementing a few last minute contractual conditions. As Skyhook’s product directly competed with a Google product, the move prompted some serious legal concerns.

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On a personal level, I find all of this very interesting. One of Google’s mantras when it comes to the Android OS has always been its openness as a platform. The concept of an open OS has acted as a call to rally their followers against the oppressive regime that is Apple and iOS.

As a platform for app developers and users, Android is very open. For handset manufacturers, it’s obviously a totally different story.

This short summary doesn’t do Nilay’s post justice; I encourage anyone interested in mobile to read the entire thing.

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