This isn't google-specific; any company using the linux kernel is vulnerable to being sued over infringing this patent.<p><a href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5893120.PN.&OS=PN/5893120&RS=PN/5893120" rel="nofollow">http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sec...</a>
I don't understand what they patented. Is this a patent for a hash table implemented using a linked list with garbage collection? How is this patentable? There should be a ton of 'prior art' concerning the data structures, and garbage collection was certainly around for decades before this patent was filed.