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Nokia says most Apple products violate its patents

18 points by alexandros 17y ago

joubert 17y ago
Cry me a river.
rauljara 17y ago
So, first Nokia sues over some general cell phone technology patents. Then Apple countersues over patents that they specifically developed for the iPhone. Now Nokia suddenly realized that every Apple product ever uses their technology and is counter-counter suing. I wonder how many days it is before Apple realizes Nokia is using Apple technology in every one of their devices ever and counter^3 sues, and how many days after that until they settle.
- btilly 17y ago
  That is why most companies find it easier just to cross-license patents.
  - sahaj 17y ago
    this will probably happen in this case. they are just placing their bargaining chips on the table.
  - mbreese 17y ago
    From what I've read, this was the problem... Nokia wanted to cross-license everything, and Apple balked at that. I can't say that I blame Apple, given that the iPhone interface seems to be far ahead of Nokia's current offerings.
martythemaniak 17y ago
Apple doesn't mind using other people's stuff when it suits them - they did lift Creative's mp3 player UI and successfully sold it off as it's own. http://www.tuaw.com/2006/08/23/apple-pays-100m-to-creative-in-patent-lawsuit-settlement/ http://www.tuaw.com/2006/08/23/apple-pays-100m-to-creative-i...
noonespecial 17y ago
Perhaps once the bigcorps have collected enough vaguery in their respective "intellectual property portfolios", we can just agree that everyones' technologies violate everyones' patents and just shut the hell up and build stuff already...
- briansmith 17y ago
  That's what the "bigcorps" will do. Then they will enter formal or informal cross-licensing agreements. But, they will still use their patents to crush any smaller competition.
  - noonespecial 17y ago
    That may be so for the short term, and certainly inside national boundaries, but I don't think the "rich countries own all of the ideas" thing is going to be a sustainable global equilibrium state. This will become the norm: http://www.scidev.net/en/news/brazil-breaks-patent-on-hivaids-drug.html http://www.scidev.net/en/news/brazil-breaks-patent-on-hivaid...
cabalamat 17y ago
1. vote Pirate Party 2. abolish misuses of patents 3. companies such as Nokia are forced to get revenue by making things people want, rather than rent-seeking 4. everyone wins!
- fauigerzigerk 17y ago
  If they do indeed have valid patents on those technologies it means that they have actually invented something people want. I'm not saying such technologies should be patentable, only that people apparently want them.

18 points by alexandros 17y ago

Cry me a river.

So, first Nokia sues over some general cell phone technology patents. Then Apple countersues over patents that they specifically developed for the iPhone. Now Nokia suddenly realized that every Apple product ever uses their technology and is counter-counter suing. I wonder how many days it is before Apple realizes Nokia is using Apple technology in every one of their devices ever and counter^3 sues, and how many days after that until they settle.

btilly 17y ago
That is why most companies find it easier just to cross-license patents.
- sahaj 17y ago
  this will probably happen in this case. they are just placing their bargaining chips on the table.
- mbreese 17y ago
  From what I've read, this was the problem... Nokia wanted to cross-license everything, and Apple balked at that. I can't say that I blame Apple, given that the iPhone interface seems to be far ahead of Nokia's current offerings.

martythemaniak 17y ago

Apple doesn't mind using other people's stuff when it suits them - they did lift Creative's mp3 player UI and successfully sold it off as it's own. http://www.tuaw.com/2006/08/23/apple-pays-100m-to-creative-in-patent-lawsuit-settlement/ http://www.tuaw.com/2006/08/23/apple-pays-100m-to-creative-i...

noonespecial 17y ago

Perhaps once the bigcorps have collected enough vaguery in their respective "intellectual property portfolios", we can just agree that everyones' technologies violate everyones' patents and just shut the hell up and build stuff already...

briansmith 17y ago
That's what the "bigcorps" will do. Then they will enter formal or informal cross-licensing agreements. But, they will still use their patents to crush any smaller competition.
- noonespecial 17y ago
  That may be so for the short term, and certainly inside national boundaries, but I don't think the "rich countries own all of the ideas" thing is going to be a sustainable global equilibrium state. This will become the norm: http://www.scidev.net/en/news/brazil-breaks-patent-on-hivaids-drug.html http://www.scidev.net/en/news/brazil-breaks-patent-on-hivaid...

cabalamat 17y ago

1. vote Pirate Party 2. abolish misuses of patents 3. companies such as Nokia are forced to get revenue by making things people want, rather than rent-seeking 4. everyone wins!

fauigerzigerk 17y ago
If they do indeed have valid patents on those technologies it means that they have actually invented something people want. I'm not saying such technologies should be patentable, only that people apparently want them.