Google comes to Samsung’s aid in Apple lawsuit

The lawsuit between Apple and Samsung does not have Google’s name attached to it, but that hasn’t kept the company from being involved. Hiroshi Lockheimer, the company’s current VP of engineering for Android took to the stand today to aid in Samsung’s legal counter-battle against Apple, an effort that focused on the very beginnings of the mobile operating system. In testimony, Lockheimer described the early days of creating Android at Google, something he said involved a “grueling” work schedule with 60 to 80 hour workweeks. 

Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) called the first of as many as seven Google Inc. (GOOG) witnesses to begin making its case in a $2 billion patent trial that Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s true target in the lawsuit is the Android operating system. Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s vice president of Android engineering, testified yesterday in federal court in San Jose, California, about the development of the Android operating system used in Samsung phones. Apple contends, and Samsung denies, that several Android features in Galaxy devices infringe the iPhone maker’s patents. As the world’s top two smartphone makers spar at their second U.S. jury trial, Samsung is trying to show that Apple’s claims are a cloaked attack on Google in an attempt to blunt smartphone competition from Android.