There’s nothing like a little incendiary feature writing to fan the flames of what is already promising to be the technology battle of giants for 2010. Let’s be honest, anyone who follows this stuff knew it was coming. There was even a whiff of it in the air at Mobile World Congress. But what I really love it that this battle will be fought out in the media too.

Two sexy brand squaring up against each other, with a third or maybe fourth brand at the edge of the circle encouraging them. Add to that a drooling pool of journalist waiting for the flood of ‘informed leaks’ and ‘off the record’ comments that are bound to spring forth and you have a battle in the media as well as in the courtroom.

After all, both are well known companies with powerful brands and everyone loves a fight, right?

Well, I am not too sure. Having spent the last twenty-odd years in the high tech community both in Europe and the US, I know from first hand experience how products and technology can stagnate while companies file writs and enter litigation. It’s a very draining experience and ultimately the consumer, and sometimes the market, can suffer as a result. Long term litigation doesn’t declare an outright winner in my experience; both parties just die a little faster – no matter how big they are.

And this has all the hallmarks of a long-term, dragged out, litigious brawl. And it’s really only the end of the beginning.

See what one technology writer had to say on the subject – Apple v Google: it’s World War III