The man that headed up the creation of Google's Android OS is on the list of witnesses Apple may call to testify in its second U.S. patent infringement case with Samsung. Mr. Rubin worked for Apple in the 1980s before going to joining the Google team.
Apple calling Android creator Andy Rubin to testify in patent infringement trial with Samsung
Mr. Rubin left Apple in 1992 for the Apple spin-off company General Magic which just so happened to be a mobile device development company. That never panned out for Apple, so in 1995 he started working for WebTV, and then Microsoft when it bought out the company.
In 1999 he co-founded the now defunct Danger, which made a cell phone that also had some PDA-style features. That company was later snapped up by Microsoft, too. In 2003 he co-founded Android, and in 2005 that company was bought by Google where he named senior vice president in charge of Android development.
Mr. Rubin moved from Android management to Google's robotic development team in 2013.
With his extensive history in the mobile device space dating back to his tenure at Apple, Mr. Rubin could make for an interesting witness, and will likely be used by the iPhone and iPad maker to show that Android is derivative from its own iOS development projects.
Apple and Samsung are squaring off in U.S. Federal Court in March over allegations that they are infringing on each other's mobile device patents. The two companies were involved in a similar trial that ended poorly for Samsung in 2012 when a Jury awarded Apple over US$1 billion in damages. This new trial will focus on devices that weren't included in the first trial.
Other witnesses Apple may call to the stand include former Android user experience expert Helena Roeber. She managed Android research before leaving the company in 2012.
Along with Ms. Roeber, Apple's witness list includes Google software developer Fred Quintana, Android marketing supervisor Kenzo Fong Hing, user experience expert Ann Hsieh, and vice president of Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer.
Samsung's witness list includes Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller, vice president of iPhone and iOS marketing Greg Joswiak, vice president of procurement Tony Blevins, vice president of human interface Gregory Christie, and chief IP lawyer Bruce Watrous.
[Thanks to TUAW for the heads up]