The unrestrained use of the word "Android" by Google and 47 other international corporations has spelled trouble for them! Suing these companies for trademark infringement, in a lawsuit filed in US District Court, is Erich Specht - a software developer and internet applications service provider.

Specht, from the Village of Palatine, Illinois, has claimed in the lawsuit that "Android" is part of his company's name - Android Data - for which the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted him a trademark in October 2002. Specht is reportedly seeking $2 million apiece for "each use of the trademarked term by each defendant."

In his filing, Specht has said that Google and the 47 others - including Open Handset Alliance, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, China Mobile, Vodafone, ARM, Intel, Nvidia, Broadcom, Texas Instruments, Samsung, Toshiba, Motorola, and Wind River - are using the word "Android" to suit their requirements.

Specht claims that Google "stole the Android name" to describe its open-source, Linux-based operating system for phones and mobile devices, which it launched in November 2007. Reportedly, Google had applied for a trademark for "Android" in October 2007, which it was refused in February 2008 - the USPTO's reasoning being that since both Google and Specht developed software and related services, there would be confusion.

Though Google had countered that trademark 'Android Data' company had been dissolved, the USPTO refused to change its decision!