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Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

arstechnica.com

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Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#331

Post by fastball »

yamamoto wrote: post #150
pg wrote: post #61

It's a little early to say for sure, but I predict this will do more to hurt Apple's reputation in the tech community than anything they've done before. And that is not a good community to alienate. I would not be surprised if they look back on this move one day and feel that they ended up net worse off as a result. Apple used to be careful not to alienate hackers. And Microsoft has been gradually digging itself out…

> hurt Apple's reputation in the tech community than anything they've done before They're not the ones suing Google. Rockstar's a separate entity with its own corp leadership that has incentives to find ways to recoup their investment. >Apple used to be careful not to alienate hackers. Google and their monopolistic practices and their anti-competition ploys is what has alienated more hackers than Apple ever will. >No…

>offering free products

By my definition, that makes Google the good guys.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#333

Post by mkjack »

pedalpete wrote: post #99
pinaceae wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google threw the gauntlet when it took a billion dollar investment into a mobile OS and gave it away for free. these dumping tactics ruined the market for licensed OS like Windows. did anybody truly believe the rest of the software industry would take it up the ass from google without fighting back? bing, apple maps, patents, etc - all part of the war. how much money does MS already make off android due to lost paten…

It's called strategy, and from Google's standpoint, it's a brilliant one. Seems to be working very well for them, while keeping competitors at bay. With regards to Schmidt on Apple's board, you're not the first to mention it here, as I responded to another comment, Apple was really dumb in this instance. Google bought Android in 2005, Apple brought Eric Schmidt onto it's board in 2006. So, either Apple was hoping to…

Links don't work... :-(

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#335

Post by emhart »

There is something mildly sickening and darkly amusing that Microsoft and Apple apparently learned enough losing over half a billion dollars in patent lawsuits filed by McKool Smith, to then hire them when they were ready to go after their competitors with patent suits.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#336

Post by blumkvist »

sgift wrote: post #293
blumkvist wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is according to some moral code or what? The world doesn't abide a set of moral rules. Rules are made by people who can't win without them. You can't tell everybody to stick it and start entering several industries at once. In the real world you have to be cooperative, as well as persistent, because you are not the only 800-pound gorilla.

> Rules are made by people who can't win without them. What's that? The official motto of all bullys and anarchists?

When I come to think of it, I might indeed sound like pro-anarchi but I don't share any political or religious views, rather try to accept things for what they are. Rules are nothing but conditioning. Attempting to give moral and ethics questions an ultimate answer bounds that group of people to go radical and crash with reality.

Nothing extreme could ever work. It's an equilibrium with lots of different sides that change their weight with time. Another manifestation of this is the mafia. It is present in every society in History. It's a human flaw. Rather than ignore it and pretend it's not there, maybe we should talk about it.

Understanding other people's position and making compromises is key if sustainability is your primary goal.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#337

Post by Perseids »

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #312
air wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think separating good guys and bad guys is pretty simple, if one is against (at least software) patents: Using patents aggressively makes you a bad guy. Google has not done this, Microsoft and Apple have.

But isn't the point being made that this is better not looked at as a good versus bad, it's better looked at as one sort of bad against another sort of bad. The fact that one of them is slightly better than the other in one regard doesn't change the fact that neither of them are really that worthy of your support. You're right that Google haven't been patent aggressors up until now but if recent behaviour teaches us…

> But isn't the point being made that this is better not looked at as a good versus bad, it's better looked at as one sort of bad against another sort of bad.

The direct consequence of this would be a call to get rid of the evil on both sides and abolish the (software) patent system altogether.

I'd like to emphasize a quote from the end of the article:

> Patents have become the arena in which tech companies have chosen to do battle.

There is no longer competition about the best user experience or the best technical solution to an engineering problem but competition about who can file the best vague, yet court approved patent and secure the most destructive intellectual properties. I don't understand why we are still only talking about reforming the patent system.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#338

Post by patrickaljord »

realcul wrote: post #168
panarky wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There really are good guys and bad guys here. Lumping them all together is false equivalence. Google isn't "dumping" by giving Android away for free. They have a different business model, and it makes money. It also keeps the competition sharp. Nothing wrong with that. What's shitty is that Microsoft and Apple are doing everything in their power to delay and destroy innovation for their own benefit. Google's actions…

yes, Google/Motorola suing Microsoft/Apple for standards essentials patent was to foster innovation..LOL

These were defensive lawsuits and you know it. When you're attacked by patent trolls, the only option is to counter sue with a similar patent troll attack. Think mutual assured destruction nuclear style. But I'm sure you're aware of that and just being disingenuous to make your point.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#339

Post by infocollector »

curiousDog wrote: post #110
pg wrote: post #61

It's a little early to say for sure, but I predict this will do more to hurt Apple's reputation in the tech community than anything they've done before. And that is not a good community to alienate. I would not be surprised if they look back on this move one day and feel that they ended up net worse off as a result. Apple used to be careful not to alienate hackers. And Microsoft has been gradually digging itself out…

I'm now ashamed I ever worked at Microsoft and I'm assuming a lot of devs there will feel the same way :(

Is working at Google and Apple any different?

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#340

Post by nzp »

sgift wrote: post #293
blumkvist wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is according to some moral code or what? The world doesn't abide a set of moral rules. Rules are made by people who can't win without them. You can't tell everybody to stick it and start entering several industries at once. In the real world you have to be cooperative, as well as persistent, because you are not the only 800-pound gorilla.

> Rules are made by people who can't win without them. What's that? The official motto of all bullys and anarchists?

Anarchists? I'm sorry, but how about learning what that word actually means?
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