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I stopped buying Apple products because of this patent nonsense, so I guess that means I can't buy that Nexus 7 I was eyeing either. Why is it that giant compa

I stopped buying Apple products because of this patent nonsense, so I guess that means I can't buy that Nexus 7 I was eyeing either. Why is it that giant companies consistently act so evil?

WildUtah 14y ago
That's the wrong way to think about it. Now that they're equally evil, you can buy whichever one you want. Or else you can't buy any and you might as well go out and play in the sun. Either way, you win. But if you are planning on buying something, do it now. Soon you might not be able to buy anything.
- mitchty 14y ago
  Yep, if anyone is using legal battles to determine what they should/shouldn't buy, you're going to be drastically disappointed. As an Apple fan, I hope Google gets their way in the courts if not for a while. Why? Well if not only to get the Android people off their high horses in regards to legal issues and the companies behind them, but it would be the perfect way for an actual debate over software patents to be brought the forefront of public debate. Reform on patents will only ever happen if people here feel the pain of the process. As it is we're too far removed still.
- adgar 14y ago
  > Now that they're equally evil nuance at its finest
azylman 14y ago
While I would obviously prefer to see no patent lawsuits, Motorola's lawsuit here is very different from Apple's against Samsung. Apple refuses to license their patents - Samsung et. al. went to Apple and said "won't you please allow us to pay you to use your technology?" to which Apple emphatically answered "NO!". Here, Apple is using Motorola's technology and Motorola said "Apple, will you please pay us if you're going to use our technology?" and Apple's reply was the same: "NO!" Apple is essentially doing the same thing that they're accusing Samsung of, except that Samsung really wanted to pay Apple, whereas Apple emphatically does not want to pay Motorola.
- mirsadm 14y ago
  Pretty sure it was revealed recently that Apple approached Samsung and gave them the opportunity to license a bunch of stuff. That is pretty rare, Samsung refused and Apple sued.
  - azylman 14y ago
    In a sense, you're right. Apple offered to license it's tech to Samsung in 2010 for a whopping $40/device - personally, I don't think that a fee that exorbitant counts, but that's personal opinion. I thing Apple knew they were offering an untenable fee and that Samsung would have no choice but to refuse.
    - jolohaga 14y ago
      Apple doesn't need to support the bottom-feeders. If Samsung can't pay Apple, that means they're not making enough money on their phones. Samsung and all Android phone makers are fighting a losing battle as long as they keep such low profit margins. It's the failure of the licensing of one common OS for all phones. Nothing distinguishes these phones enough to allow one company to raise above the rest. Samsung and the other Android phone makers can't count on anyone's loyalty. The Android user is only interested in the freest phone, regardless who makes it. Today Samsung, tomorrow X (fill in the mark). Why does Apple have to support that?
      - fpgeek 14y ago
        > Samsung and all Android phone makers are fighting a losing battle as long as they keep such low profit margins. It's the failure of the licensing of one common OS for all phones. Nothing distinguishes these phones enough to allow one company to raise above the rest. Apple is fighting a losing battle trying to protect their exclusive, high-end slice of the smartphone world. They've already conceded the future (e.g. India, China and the rest of the developing world). Now they're just haggling over how long the present is going to last.
      - vidarh 14y ago
mjn 14y ago
Just think of all the money you'll save. :)
comatose_kid 14y ago
Why is Apple evil for defending itself from companies who are copying much of the look and feel of their phones? If you invented a new approach to smartphones that became really successful and changed the industry, wouldn't you want to protect your hard work from others who copied it?
- CamperBob2 14y ago
  Apple has sold over a hundred million iPhones and has sewn up a large chunk of the most profitable market segment. That should be enough of a reward.
  - comatose_kid 14y ago
    Apple defined the landscape that all Android phones now inhabit. Your view doesn't make sense to me. If you buy a nice car by working hard, should I be allowed to take it from you after you have had 'enough' time to drive it?
    - CamperBob2 14y ago
      Patents should be granted only on IP that would otherwise risk being locked up indefinitely as a trade secret. Otherwise, they aren't promoting the "progress of Science and the useful Arts" but instead feathering the nests of incumbent producers at consumers' expense. The patents being lobbed about like grenades don't fall into that category, IMO. No one would ever need to read a patent to see how to implement "slide to unlock."
    - vitriolix 14y ago
      Apple built a product that was innovative but clearly derivative of what Motorola had been selling for decades, why shouldn't Motorola defend itself in the market it created?
      - sbuk 14y ago
        They can. So long as they don't try and license their FRAND patents using non-FRAND terms.
myko 14y ago
This is a defensive response to being sued by Apple, which seems to have been the entire point of Google purchasing Motorola.

I stopped buying Apple products because of this patent nonsense, so I guess that means I can't buy that Nexus 7 I was eyeing either. Why is it that giant companies consistently act so evil?

WildUtah 14y ago

That's the wrong way to think about it. Now that they're equally evil, you can buy whichever one you want. Or else you can't buy any and you might as well go out and play in the sun. Either way, you win. But if you are planning on buying something, do it now. Soon you might not be able to buy anything.

mitchty 14y ago
Yep, if anyone is using legal battles to determine what they should/shouldn't buy, you're going to be drastically disappointed. As an Apple fan, I hope Google gets their way in the courts if not for a while. Why? Well if not only to get the Android people off their high horses in regards to legal issues and the companies behind them, but it would be the perfect way for an actual debate over software patents to be brought the forefront of public debate. Reform on patents will only ever happen if people here feel the pain of the process. As it is we're too far removed still.
adgar 14y ago
> Now that they're equally evil nuance at its finest

azylman 14y ago

While I would obviously prefer to see no patent lawsuits, Motorola's lawsuit here is very different from Apple's against Samsung. Apple refuses to license their patents - Samsung et. al. went to Apple and said "won't you please allow us to pay you to use your technology?" to which Apple emphatically answered "NO!". Here, Apple is using Motorola's technology and Motorola said "Apple, will you please pay us if you're going to use our technology?" and Apple's reply was the same: "NO!" Apple is essentially doing the same thing that they're accusing Samsung of, except that Samsung really wanted to pay Apple, whereas Apple emphatically does not want to pay Motorola.

mirsadm 14y ago
Pretty sure it was revealed recently that Apple approached Samsung and gave them the opportunity to license a bunch of stuff. That is pretty rare, Samsung refused and Apple sued.
- azylman 14y ago
  In a sense, you're right. Apple offered to license it's tech to Samsung in 2010 for a whopping $40/device - personally, I don't think that a fee that exorbitant counts, but that's personal opinion. I thing Apple knew they were offering an untenable fee and that Samsung would have no choice but to refuse.
  - jolohaga 14y ago
    Apple doesn't need to support the bottom-feeders. If Samsung can't pay Apple, that means they're not making enough money on their phones. Samsung and all Android phone makers are fighting a losing battle as long as they keep such low profit margins. It's the failure of the licensing of one common OS for all phones. Nothing distinguishes these phones enough to allow one company to raise above the rest. Samsung and the other Android phone makers can't count on anyone's loyalty. The Android user is only interested in the freest phone, regardless who makes it. Today Samsung, tomorrow X (fill in the mark). Why does Apple have to support that?
    - fpgeek 14y ago
      > Samsung and all Android phone makers are fighting a losing battle as long as they keep such low profit margins. It's the failure of the licensing of one common OS for all phones. Nothing distinguishes these phones enough to allow one company to raise above the rest. Apple is fighting a losing battle trying to protect their exclusive, high-end slice of the smartphone world. They've already conceded the future (e.g. India, China and the rest of the developing world). Now they're just haggling over how long the present is going to last.
    - vidarh 14y ago

mjn 14y ago

Just think of all the money you'll save. :)

comatose_kid 14y ago

Why is Apple evil for defending itself from companies who are copying much of the look and feel of their phones? If you invented a new approach to smartphones that became really successful and changed the industry, wouldn't you want to protect your hard work from others who copied it?

CamperBob2 14y ago
Apple has sold over a hundred million iPhones and has sewn up a large chunk of the most profitable market segment. That should be enough of a reward.
- comatose_kid 14y ago
  Apple defined the landscape that all Android phones now inhabit. Your view doesn't make sense to me. If you buy a nice car by working hard, should I be allowed to take it from you after you have had 'enough' time to drive it?
  - CamperBob2 14y ago
    Patents should be granted only on IP that would otherwise risk being locked up indefinitely as a trade secret. Otherwise, they aren't promoting the "progress of Science and the useful Arts" but instead feathering the nests of incumbent producers at consumers' expense. The patents being lobbed about like grenades don't fall into that category, IMO. No one would ever need to read a patent to see how to implement "slide to unlock."
  - vitriolix 14y ago
    Apple built a product that was innovative but clearly derivative of what Motorola had been selling for decades, why shouldn't Motorola defend itself in the market it created?
    - sbuk 14y ago
      They can. So long as they don't try and license their FRAND patents using non-FRAND terms.

myko 14y ago

This is a defensive response to being sued by Apple, which seems to have been the entire point of Google purchasing Motorola.