Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 218 posts

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#91

Post by jsz0 »

neurotech1 wrote: post #58
indiecore wrote: post #2

We all knew that the second someone started wielding their "defensive" patents the whole system was going to fall apart. Well...here we go I guess.

Apple are suing Motorola(Google), so this lawsuit is just another part of the response directed back at Apple. It's not like Motorola just decided to go after another cellphone manufacturer for patent violations, as an offensive move.

They did actually.

2010, Oct 06: Motorola sues Apple over 18 patents, and files an ITC complaint against Apple over 6 of them.

2010, Oct 29: Apple sues Motorola over 6 patents, and files an ITC complaint against Motorola over 3 of them.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#92

Post by rorrr »

grandalf wrote: post #31

Even though I'm generally in favor of moderately strong patent laws, this is starting to get ridiculous. The statute of limitations on these sorts of things should be 1-2 years max.

And patents should be

A) Sufficiently complex. No more slide-to-unlock trivial bullshit.

B) Strict checks on prior art. Slide-to-unlock, again.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#93

Post by mdwrigh2 »

mdwrigh2 wrote: post #67
taligent wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Don't be evil" does mean that you should't abuse FRAND obligations. Hence why Google is being investigated for anti-competitive behaviour by ITC/EU. Given the important of FRAND in the standards process this is very much being evil.

Note that none of the patents they are suing over this time are FRAND patents.

I can no longer respond to the people replying to me, so I'm putting this here.

Motorola, not Google, sued Apple and Microsoft over FRAND patents in April of 2011. It wasn't until August 2011 that Google even announced their intent to acquire Motorola Mobility, and it took until May 22nd, 2012 for the deal to actually close.

If you were referring to a different FRAND case, I apologize, this is the only one I'm aware of.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#94

Post by Steko »

mdwrigh2 wrote: post #65
barista wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google and Samsung seem to be willing to talk about ending the mutual destruction In the past they seemed eager to talk rather than dispute because they had no weapons to defend themselves. Now that Google has acquired Motorola, they have the patents to go after anybody they want and that's exactly what they are doing.

> Now that Google has acquired Motorola, they have the patents to go after anybody they want and that's exactly what they are doing. Let's be clear: They've sued Apple, the one person who's been unwilling to cross-license their patents. They aren't suing Microsoft. They aren't suing Oracle. They aren't suing anyone else at this point. Apple, on the other hand, has been suing every Android manufacturer under the sun w…

Let's be even more clear: there isn't a genuine equivalence between Apple suing Samsung and Samsung suing Apple. Even Google's lawyers told Samsung to change their designs.

The false equivalence that you and many other people continually try to draw in this thread and every other one like it has poisoned the well.

Nokia sues Apple over something? No big deal.

Apple sues Samsung over obvious copycat products? End of world.

Apple writes $10 bln check to Nokia without much fuss? Serves em right!

Samsung might owe Apple a couple billion? End of world.

There's a reason Apple sued Android first. and the consistent meme here that it's because Apple is the big bad is, frankly, total bullshit. Google et al. made conscious decisions to copy Apple's products.

Now maybe Apple also made a conscious decision to steal Motorola's tech. Maybe Apple's innovations are bullshit, obvious, non-new. OTOH maybe it isn't and maybe Motorola's is. In that case why should Apple cross license it's actual innovations to someone who wants to knock off their products? In that case, Fuck Samsung and Googlerola -- they can write checks just like Apple did to Nokia. Hardly the end of the world.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#95

Post by jsz0 »

azylman wrote: post #68
SquareWheel wrote: post #53

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?

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 g…

That's what people said about Apple/Samsung until the trial reviled Apple did offer licensing terms which Samsung rejected. We have no way of knowing if Apple offered similar licensing terms to Motorola.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#96

Post by S_A_P »

I believe that this may end up being Steve Jobs legacy. He became so focused on destroying android that it consumes everyone. Sure android was an iPhone rip off, google may acted in bad faith by ripping it off. So what? Anyone who makes something enviable should expect the copies to follow them. I am at my saturation point with IP lawsuits. I lack much empathy for any party at this point, consumers are the ones that lose.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#97

Post by CamperBob2 »

comatose_kid wrote: post #83
SquareWheel wrote: post #53

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?

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?

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.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#98

Post by comatose_kid »

There are a lot of 'Apple deserves this' type of comments in this thread that I'd like to address.

The patent system is probably flawed (IANAL), but companies do need to have a way to defend their innovations. Apple did re-invent the smart phone in 07, and has been the design leader since then.

Android has followed in their footsteps - witness the design shift from their pre-iphone roadmap which consisted of blackberry-look-alike designs.

Further, there have been no bold re-imaginings of the smartphone in Android-land (sorry, a better notification system doesn't really qualify). They are taking Apple's innovations and applying a different business model to achieve success.

Google and Apple are both amazing companies, but I have a hard time finding fault with Apple's decision to sue Google's partners. If the tables were turned, and Google came out with an Android phone first, I would support Google suing Apple for the same reasons.

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#99

Post by azylman »

jsz0 wrote: post #95
azylman wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 g…

That's what people said about Apple/Samsung until the trial reviled Apple did offer licensing terms which Samsung rejected. We have no way of knowing if Apple offered similar licensing terms to Motorola.

Actually, prior documents released from Motorola and Apple show that Motorola wanted 2.25% of Apple's revenue for its patents[1] - on a $500 device, that's $1.50. Apple rejected those terms. Compare that to Apple's demand of $40/device from Samsung - it's not favorable.

[1] http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/02/04/what-motorola-wants-2...

Re: Google Sues Apple, Seeks To Block iPhone, iPad & Mac Imports To U.S.

#100

Post by drgath »

haldean wrote: post #19
indiecore wrote: post #2

We all knew that the second someone started wielding their "defensive" patents the whole system was going to fall apart. Well...here we go I guess.

The headline is incorrect; this is Motorola suing Apple, not Google, which has happened before (as the article states).

In a literal sense, you are correct. But don't ignore the fact that there had to be a group of lawyers and execs in a room at the GooglePlex that gave this move a green light. This is why Google bought Motorola.
Post reply on HN