The IT section of the blogosphere heated up a bit last week with the granting of US Patent No. 7,278,273 to Google for a “Modular Data Center.” Lots of people were whipped into a frenzy when they noticed that 1) the patent was granted to Google, 2) it has something to do with a shipping container-based data center, and 3) it was granted to Google.

Many were quick to accuse Google of being evil because it had so clearly pursued patent protection on Sun’s Project Blackbox.

A few samples:

The Register - “Google now owns a patent for data centers stuffed into shipping containers. You know, data centers like Sun’s Project Blackbox”

Ars Technica - “Google patents datacenter-in-a-shipping-container, ignores Sun’s BlackBox…So if the idea is not new, why is Google patenting it? As is the case with many high technology companies these days, the goal is to patent as many ideas as possible in a race to collect the largest patent portfolio and stave off possible lawsuits from small companies (including firms that do nothing but hold patents) wanting to cash in on a big patent lawsuit payday.”

Information Week - “The patent, granted Tuesday, covers “modular data centers with modular components that can implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, or a method.”

But does the patent cover Blackbox?  PatentFizz commenters quickly jumped on the case….and revealed some interesting details about the patent claims and the details of Blackbox.  Go ahead and review the comments on the FizzDisplay of the Google data center patent - we think you’ll find the discussion fascinating.