Discussion Forums > Technology
VIA Wants iPad, iPhone Banned in USA
Bob2004:
The whole point of the patents system is to allow one company to have a monopoly on a specific idea, and make as much money as they can from it while preventing anyone else from making use of or improving it. By definition this stifles innovation, because if nobody is allowed to make use of an idea, then nobody can innovate on it.
To take an example mentioned earlier in this thread - nobody other than Apple is allowed to make 'minimalist style' tablet computers. Seriously? That pretty much gives Apple a license to stop anyone from making a small tablet PC, entirely. Which is obviously completely ridiculous. Imagine if IBM had tried to enforce patents on a 'micro chip containing a digital computer processing unit' - Intel and AMD would not have been able to improve on IBM's cpu designs, and where would we be now? Patents serve no purpose other than to make easy money for a few people by stifling innovation.
Tiffanys:
--- Quote from: Bob2004 on September 26, 2011, 05:29:44 PM ---The whole point of the patents system is to allow one company to have a monopoly on a specific idea, and make as much money as they can from it while preventing anyone else from making use of or improving it. By definition this stifles innovation, because if nobody is allowed to make use of an idea, then nobody can innovate on it.
To take an example mentioned earlier in this thread - nobody other than Apple is allowed to make 'minimalist style' tablet computers. Seriously? That pretty much gives Apple a license to stop anyone from making a small tablet PC, entirely. Which is obviously completely ridiculous. Imagine if IBM had tried to enforce patents on a 'micro chip containing a digital computer processing unit' - Intel and AMD would not have been able to improve on IBM's cpu designs, and where would we be now? Patents serve no purpose other than to make easy money for a few people by stifling innovation.
--- End quote ---
Royalties, Bob. Royalties.
They don't have to just horde... they can license them out, and get paid for their inventions.
Scudworth:
I hate apple and it's legions of macfags so much, I really hope apple looses big on this.
Bob2004:
--- Quote from: Tiffanys on September 26, 2011, 05:39:41 PM ---
--- Quote from: Bob2004 on September 26, 2011, 05:29:44 PM ---The whole point of the patents system is to allow one company to have a monopoly on a specific idea, and make as much money as they can from it while preventing anyone else from making use of or improving it. By definition this stifles innovation, because if nobody is allowed to make use of an idea, then nobody can innovate on it.
To take an example mentioned earlier in this thread - nobody other than Apple is allowed to make 'minimalist style' tablet computers. Seriously? That pretty much gives Apple a license to stop anyone from making a small tablet PC, entirely. Which is obviously completely ridiculous. Imagine if IBM had tried to enforce patents on a 'micro chip containing a digital computer processing unit' - Intel and AMD would not have been able to improve on IBM's cpu designs, and where would we be now? Patents serve no purpose other than to make easy money for a few people by stifling innovation.
--- End quote ---
Royalties, Bob. Royalties.
They don't have to just horde... they can license them out, and get paid for their inventions.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, but they don't. Instead they just ban everyone from releasing any 'minimalist style' tablets in Germany.
ColdFission:
The minimalist design reminds of an editorial from DailyTech:
http://www.dailytech.com/EDITORIAL+Apples+Patent+Didnt+Look+Much+Like+the+iPad++or+Samsung+Tab+101/article22685.htm
The article suggests that, even though Apple did file the patent first for the iPad, Samsung was out first with an actual product in the form a digital picture frame with the minimalist design. Overall, I just thought that ruling in Germany against Samsung was idiotic just because it has a similar minimalist design like the iPad. Same logic could also be applied to Samsung TVs, they're rectangular, has a black bezel, and with hardly or no buttons at all. Are Samsung TV's going to be banned in Germany too because it also shares the minimalist design from the iPad? Are people going to mistake Samsung TVs for iPads (sarcasm)? Seriously though, how can you mistake a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from an iPad 2? You hold them differently, Samsung's is landscape and Apple's is portrait. The GUI is different, the dimensions are different, and the iPad 2 is the one with the button. Hell, there are bloody signs in the stores and online saying that they are the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Apple iPad 2.
For those want to, you can read an article about the ruling:
http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Crushes+Samsung+in+German+Court+Galaxy+Tab+101+Ban+is+Complete/article22682.htm
I also recall that Apple has 'shopped some images in its case against Samsung:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219189/Apple_s_evidence_may_be_flawed_in_European_Samsung_case
However, it was noted that the judge did have the tablets in his hands, despite the 'shopped images there:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14542200
--- Quote ---It is understood that the judge involved in the German case made his ruling based on a physical examination of the two tablets, rather than relying Apple's paper submission alone.
--- End quote ---
I've seen patent wars come and gone and its not even remotely funny anymore. It is a really serious problem that needs to get fixed, the patent system is broken. Anyone remember when Rambus was suing companies left and right when they didn't even make ANYTHING? In the end, the customer loses because of these useless patent lawsuits.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version