Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#51

Post by arto » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 10:02 AM UTC

Steko wrote: post #14

untog wrote: post #3

And it goes back, and forth, and back, and forth, and In other news, "Samsung adds four more complaints to its German patent offensive against Apple": http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/19/2646835/samsung-apple-ger... I would love for someone at one of these companies to explain how on earth this benefits the consumer.

The pro-IP argument from Apple's point of view goes something like this: In a world where everyone just copies everyone else freely (e.g. the desktop PC world) there is/would be much less innovation. The investments that go into many breakthrough products (iphone, ipad) are made with the understanding that IP protections are in place to prevent copycats from waltzing in and taking all the benefits later on. Take away…

> In a world where everyone just copies everyone else freely (e.g. the desktop PC world) there is/would be much less innovation.

For a counterpoint, see e.g. Johanna Blakley's excellent TED talk on how the copyright-free fashion industry thrives despite rampant legal counterfeiting:

http://www.ted.com/talks/johanna_blakley_lessons_from_fashio...

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#52

Post by Mordor » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 10:24 AM UTC

Apple may win the battle, but they lost the war... a long time ago.

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#53

Post by tjogin » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 12:40 PM UTC

ChuckMcM wrote: post #7

Sigh, emotionally this sort of crap from Apple just really irritates me. Sure software patents are stupid, but does it strike anyone else that this Android Jihad by Apple is doing more damage to their corporate brand than help? I should have realized during the 'look and feel' wars that its part of their DNA.

I hate software patents, I really do. But what alternatives does Apple have? They're the big fish in their industries, they have to file and use patents or they'll be on the other end of the lawsuits.

At least the patents Apple use in lawsuits are ones they've filed themselves, rather than having bought them.

Or as they say, don't hate the player, hate the game.

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#54

Post by tjogin » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 12:46 PM UTC

stephend wrote: post #18

ChuckMcM wrote: post #7

Sigh, emotionally this sort of crap from Apple just really irritates me. Sure software patents are stupid, but does it strike anyone else that this Android Jihad by Apple is doing more damage to their corporate brand than help? I should have realized during the 'look and feel' wars that its part of their DNA.

"jihad"... Apple has indeed an islamic mindset : they have a prophet you cannot criticize without violent reactions (like being permbanned from forums).

These kinds of arguments only weakens your position. If you had something thoughtful to say, something of value, you would have said it.

Instead you serve this nonsense, the only logical conclusion of which is that you can't think of anything meaningful to say about the topic at all.

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#55

Post by hahainternet » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 1:10 PM UTC

shinratdr wrote: post #38

georgemcbay wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who has been de facto boycotting Apple (the last Apple device I've owned was an iPhone 3G) over annoyance with their iron fisted control policies, I wish you were right that this would damage their corporate brand, but I don't think it will. Most non-geeks just don't care about this stuff one way or another. And most geeks either rationalize it or post how annoyed by it they are from their shiny new MacBoo…

> If they ever did manage to get Android killed in the way they seem to want to (Jobs' 'thermonuclear' option), don't they realize that would make them the 90's-Microsoft of smartphones? Not really, because it wouldn't. You don't see Apple going after WP7. Nor WebOS. Yes they are small competitors but that's only because Android is free and established, if there was no Android, they would pick up the slack quite quic…

I don't believe this for a second. Apple has a specific problem with Android because android has >50% market share.

You have to be joking if you believe that Apple wouldn't consider the same actions against Microsoft if they had similar market share.

The only differences are

1. Microsoft has a lot more lawfare equipment.

2. Microsoft has < 1% market share.

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#56

Post by laumars » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 1:52 PM UTC

tjogin wrote: post #53

ChuckMcM wrote: post #7

Sigh, emotionally this sort of crap from Apple just really irritates me. Sure software patents are stupid, but does it strike anyone else that this Android Jihad by Apple is doing more damage to their corporate brand than help? I should have realized during the 'look and feel' wars that its part of their DNA.

I hate software patents, I really do. But what alternatives does Apple have? They're the big fish in their industries, they have to file and use patents or they'll be on the other end of the lawsuits. At least the patents Apple use in lawsuits are ones they've filed themselves , rather than having bought them. Or as they say, don't hate the player, hate the game.

Clearly you don't hate software patents because you then went on to justify them.

In fact, I think your whole attitude is backwards for the following reasons: While I agree with you that you cannot blame Apple (nor any other company) from filing software patents given the current culture within IT. You can 100% blame Apple for aggressively using flimsy patents to suppress obvious designs amongst competitors - forcing their competitors to deliberately cripple their products or risk having them forcefully removed from market entirely. That is not competition nor is that using patents defensively. What they are doing is exploiting a legal loophole to suppress legitimate competition.

Also, the "don't hate the player, hate the game" saying really winds me up. It's basically just endorsing moronic behaviour so long as the culprit doesn't get caught. It's just a retarded view of life in my opinion.

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#57

Post by rheeseyb » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 2:47 PM UTC

einhverfr wrote: post #50

ddlatham wrote: post #2

Here's the patent in question, #5,946,647, filed Feb. 1, 1996: http://www.google.com/patents/US5946647 "A system and method causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data... uses a pattern analysis unit ... to detect structures in the data, and links relevant actions to the detected structures. .... Thus, the user interface can present and enable selection of the detected st…

That sounds broad enough to cover syntax coloring in VIM and Visual Studio......

Or links on a webpage?

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#58

Post by smackfu » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 2:51 PM UTC

tjogin wrote: post #53

ChuckMcM wrote: post #7

Sigh, emotionally this sort of crap from Apple just really irritates me. Sure software patents are stupid, but does it strike anyone else that this Android Jihad by Apple is doing more damage to their corporate brand than help? I should have realized during the 'look and feel' wars that its part of their DNA.

I hate software patents, I really do. But what alternatives does Apple have? They're the big fish in their industries, they have to file and use patents or they'll be on the other end of the lawsuits. At least the patents Apple use in lawsuits are ones they've filed themselves , rather than having bought them. Or as they say, don't hate the player, hate the game.

The alternative that was the 10 years prior to this round of lawsuits where they didn't try to win in the courts.

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#59

Post by cbr » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 3:34 PM UTC

caf wrote: post #4

ddlatham wrote: post #2

Here's the patent in question, #5,946,647, filed Feb. 1, 1996: http://www.google.com/patents/US5946647 "A system and method causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data... uses a pattern analysis unit ... to detect structures in the data, and links relevant actions to the detected structures. .... Thus, the user interface can present and enable selection of the detected st…

Really? My old featurephone did that!

Before 1996?

Re: Apple wins ban of HTC devices at US International Trade Commission

#60

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 3:37 PM UTC

tjogin wrote: post #54

stephend wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"jihad"... Apple has indeed an islamic mindset : they have a prophet you cannot criticize without violent reactions (like being permbanned from forums).

These kinds of arguments only weakens your position. If you had something thoughtful to say, something of value, you would have said it. Instead you serve this nonsense, the only logical conclusion of which is that you can't think of anything meaningful to say about the topic at all.

[deleted]