4 ms·

Don't obfuscate reality to lend credence to an all-too-familiar anti-Apple rant. Microsoft is utilizing ridiculously old, unrelated patents to force Android ma

Don't obfuscate reality to lend credence to an all-too-familiar anti-Apple rant. Microsoft is utilizing ridiculously old, unrelated patents to force Android manufacturers to pay up. Apple is using designed in house, relevant and modern patents against what it feels is intellectual property theft. What's the difference? Apple is suing companies for what it feels is unfair use of the technology that Apple feels it made. Microsoft is simply forcing companies to pay huge fees for using software that Microsoft never made and has no claim to.

sounds 15y ago
I would have posted the same thing, so thanks! To add to that: I do feel Apple's lawsuits are a problem. But if we're going to make any meaningful progress, we must start with software patents. Microsoft's dealings with Android manufacturers offer a golden opportunity to set the precedent that could invalidate software patents in general. That's too big an opportunity to miss. Apple's patent suits are (unfortunately?) relevant and modern patents... it's harder to get a foothold against what Apple is doing. Or, in other words, since my viewpoint is not the only viewpoint, I don't see as clear a case that we should invalidate Apple's suits. They have some merit.
rplnt 15y ago
> Apple is using designed in house, relevant and modern patents against what it feels is intellectual property theft. You must be kidding, right?
recoiledsnake 15y ago
Patent #6,493,002: Method and Apparatus for Displaying and Accessing Control and Status Information in a Computer System That patent is being used against Samsung, doesn't seem really modern since it is from 1997 >Apple is suing companies for what it feels is unfair use of the technology that Apple feels it made. >Microsoft is simply forcing companies to pay huge fees for using software that Microsoft never made and has no claim to. Lets interchange those. Microsoft is suing companies for what it feels is unfair use of the technology that Microsoft feels it made. Apple is simply forcing companies to pay huge fees for using software that Apple never made and has no claim to. Still feels right, doesn't it?

sounds 15y ago

I would have posted the same thing, so thanks! To add to that: I do feel Apple's lawsuits are a problem. But if we're going to make any meaningful progress, we must start with software patents. Microsoft's dealings with Android manufacturers offer a golden opportunity to set the precedent that could invalidate software patents in general. That's too big an opportunity to miss. Apple's patent suits are (unfortunately?) relevant and modern patents... it's harder to get a foothold against what Apple is doing. Or, in other words, since my viewpoint is not the only viewpoint, I don't see as clear a case that we should invalidate Apple's suits. They have some merit.

rplnt 15y ago

> Apple is using designed in house, relevant and modern patents against what it feels is intellectual property theft. You must be kidding, right?

recoiledsnake 15y ago

Patent #6,493,002: Method and Apparatus for Displaying and Accessing Control and Status Information in a Computer System That patent is being used against Samsung, doesn't seem really modern since it is from 1997 >Apple is suing companies for what it feels is unfair use of the technology that Apple feels it made. >Microsoft is simply forcing companies to pay huge fees for using software that Microsoft never made and has no claim to. Lets interchange those. Microsoft is suing companies for what it feels is unfair use of the technology that Microsoft feels it made. Apple is simply forcing companies to pay huge fees for using software that Apple never made and has no claim to. Still feels right, doesn't it?