Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 10th Apr 2012 09:11 UTC
"The man who co-founded Apple - the world's most valuable company - in the garage of Steve Jobs' parents, fears the torrent of intellectual property lawsuits being filed by companies such as Apple, Samsung, Google, HTC and Nokia could prevent future entrepreneurs from treading a path to technology fortune." Well, mr Wozniak, you are, technically, still an Apple employee. Shouldn't be too hard for you to get an audience with mr Cook.
Thread beginning with comment 513455
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2008-08-09
I also find it extremely annoying that people so quickly leap from "patents are problematic" to picking a side in every patent battle and whining endlessly about the perceived bad guy. There are no winners, there are no good guys. The companies to a great extent have to fight these battles since they have to maximize shareholder value, and they have to attempt to keep a level playing field.
It is a no-brainer that Android is in perfectly legitimate patent trouble under the current system, what we learn from that is that it is the system that is flawed. Giving Google a pass to take over the mobile market without having to face patent challenges would just leave us without a level playing field, unless everyone pledges not to sue another up and comer either. Google is rather unique in that it is the largest company built on the back on what is basically a single patent, US 6,285,999, PageRank, and certainly no one else is getting into the search market by using that technique. That is not to say that Google is a bad guy either, but they, like everyone, are on both sides of the problems with patents.
Apple is not the problem, the system is. If anything the intense activity at the moment will help facilitate the system getting some much needed changes.
RE[2]: Comment by MOS6510
by Thom_Holwerda on Tue 10th Apr 2012 10:09
in reply to "RE: Comment by MOS6510"
Member since:2005-06-29
Apple is not the problem, the system is.
Apple IS part of the problem, more so than other companies, for two very valid reasons.
a) Apple is by far the largest company in this business, and thus, they have the money and power to change it - but they choose not to, and in fact, lobby laws to strengthen their ability to sue the little guys into oblivion (the recent patent "reform").
b) They are one of the most aggressive - if not the most aggressive - abuser of the system, and thus, contribute to its continued existence much more so than others.
Even within a system a company can show good faith, and as far as patents go, Google has demonstrated such faith. They have not gone on the offensive in any way, shape, or form, unlike its competitors, despite the lure to do so being quite high at this point. I'd love for them to do more to change the system, but to make it seem as if Google is just as bad as Apple [re:patents] is ridiculous, at best.
Member since:2010-06-08
I don't think any company can stop this on its own, it's how the war is fought within the patent rules.
Nonsense. It's like saying that any country can't stop being an aggressor, since everyone engages in war. There is a distinction between aggression and defense.
Any company can start behaving decently, and not to engage in patents aggression and patent protection racket. Apple is one of the worst in that regard, and if anyone should stop this sheer nonsense for the benefit of the society - it's Apple.
Edited 2012-04-10 20:01 UTC
RE[2]: Comment by MOS6510
by MOS6510 on Tue 10th Apr 2012 20:10
in reply to "RE: Comment by MOS6510"
Member since:2011-05-12
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.More Features »
Sponsored Links
Member since:
2011-05-12
"Well, mr Wozniak, you are, technically, still an Apple employee. Shouldn't be too hard for you to get an audience with mr Cook."
He does mention that Apple are the "good guys", so it doesn't make much sense for him to talk to Tim.
I don't think any company can stop this on its own, it's how the war is fought within the patent rules. These rules need to be changed. Even if all the "normal" companies stop this patent stuff the patent trolls will still continue.