Google Chairman Eric Schmidt slams the patent wars

In between learning how to dance Gangnam style and launching the Nexus 7 in Korea, Google chair Eric Schmidt found time to point out that patent wars were killing innovation in the tech industry.

During the launch of Google’s signature Android tablet, the Google head told the assembled crowd that “literally patent wars prevent choice, prevent innovation and I think that is very bad. We are obviously working through that and trying to make sure we stay on the right side of these issues.”

The market share war, he said, should instead be fought with better technology, rather than in the courtroom.

Schmidt was careful however not to step on the toes of Samsung and Apple, the two companies embroiled in what remains tech’s most bitter patent rivalry.

Despite Apple’s determination to completely destroy Google’s Android offering, Schmidt still called the Cupertino-based giant a very good partner and re-emphasised that Google was talking to it on a daily basis.

“With respect to Apple patents, the best thing we can tell there are plenty of prior arts and I don’t want to go beyond that,” he said.

Samsung meanwhile was labelled one of Google’s “most important partners,” with Schmidt saying that he would be meeting with the company during the trip “as I do every time I come here.”