Google recently sent a 15-page letter to a Congressional committee on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensed "standards-essential" patents (SEPs). In it, the search giant says it believes that if proprietary or de facto patents become standards by way of consumer popularity, the committee's concern about licensing abuse should encompass these patents as well. Eight days later, after having caught wind of Google's letter and its suggestion, Apple vigorously disagreed in its own nine-page statement. Google, it said, is essentially calling for Apple patents to become FRAND paten
