Lawsuit alleges patent infringement; latest in more than 20 court battles
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comApple launches new legal attack on Samsung phones
Seeded on Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:14 PM EST (msnbc.com)
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Yeah. Because competition, ya know, is a bad thing (for us).
My thought exactly. The headline should be changed to: "Samsung offers competitive products-Apple sues"
Nothing like bidness by other means....
Yeah, so sick of hearing this. Apple knows it's only been successful because of the same people buying the same crap over and over again. Too bad people don't look under the hood. They would see that a newly released Apple product is already behind everything else...
My friend was showing me the "new" features of his new iPhone, I told him my Windows phone had those features at the beginning of last fall.
There are limits to everything, or at least there should be when something is abused.
I like the apple iphone. Now if they would get away from their closed technology and let more people in to make it more customizable they would be on top and not need to worry. Jobs is dead, time to give up his closed minded approach to things.
Competition is good when you actually compete, what samsung is doing it's just copying. They have done it with Sony, Whirlpool, and now Apple.
Lawsuits equals attorneys paid, successful lawsuits equal products sitting in warehouses because they can't be sold. Samsung needs to make up the losses, prices go up, Apple products look like a better deal. Consumers get screwed.
There is no loyalty in business yet they expect loyalty from the consumers. Unless we put our collective foot down and just stop buying these products, if only for a short period of time, we will let the Apples of the world control the market when we the consumers have all the power.
There are only two parts to a consumer driven market, supply and demand. We are the demand and instead of making informed decisions we make hip choices. That iPhone is disposable just like any other smartphone. Competition helps drive prices down for these disposable items. Apple knows it and instead of coming down to the rest they would rather drive the prices up to meet theirs. Keep buying and nothing will change. Might as well call it iCrack.
My thought exactly. The headline should be changed to: "Samsung offers competitive products-Apple sues"
actually if you have used a nexus it should read samsung offers superior product-apple sues.
i have said this many times but i will say it again. if you are over 13 and need a smart phone android is your best bet. children and technically challenged people should opt for the iphone as that is the market it was designed for.
Didn't Android phones have these features before Apple COPIED them and call it "innovation"?
Exactly.
Anything related to smart phone appearances and designs all pretty much comes from Texas Instruments and all those companies that made Palm Pilots and other PDAs.
As an owner of a Samsung Galaxy S2, I can say that I have converted many of my iPhone toting family/friends to the light, and they will be getting a Galaxy as soon as they are able.
Sadly, a lot of them just want the Galaxy just because the screen is gigantic. Luckily, their being superficial will not cause them to buy an inferior product, but a superior one.
Everyone jumping from the Apple wagon, be sure you go to Sprint. Unlike ATT, no data throttling. And you'll be using a lot of data on the Galaxy by enjoying every bit of your phone.
(God, I sound like an advertiser. But seriously, it's very unusual for me to actually be happy with a product and company, so I don't mind saying good things about Sprint or Galaxy S2.)
It's the liberal thugs from Cupertino suing everybody in sight to keep a monopoly.
Maybe you can pay Foxconn workers even less to make up for it.
The whole technology trademark, patent landscape has turned into nothing more than a whole series of extortion attempts.
.
Apple sucks. The whole patent system is garbage.
Go to hell Apple.
Apple is overrated ... and they know it.
Get a life and enjoy what you have.
Is this the same Apple that stole the mouse and GUI from Xerox then sued everyone in the world for infringing on "their" patent? I though so.
The way I understand it, Apple gave Xerox, stock in exchange for those ideas.
Anywhoo our patent system is a joke.
Of course Apple stole the name "Apple" from the Beatles.
Joregon, that is the worst apple bash ever. #Fail
Warren, if apple stole Xerox had the option to sue. Not to mention if samsung would be just a little original they wouldn't have this problem.
It sure made a lot of Lawyers wealthy.
Let's change this patent suing thing to arbitration (like they now stick into 'small print' contracts for customers). Quick and "fair"!
Honestly I'm just surprised that Apple isn't claiming that the ability of Samsung phones to make calls is infringing on Apple's extant patents.
It's sad that samsung sued apple over emoticons. Samsung needs to be original and stop getting by with making solid devices that are unoriginal. That doesn't produce innovation.
Sick and tired of Apple trying to stop technological progress. I would think that there are many, many fairly similar results that can be achieved via many different routes.
The end result of all this is that the lawyers suck $$$ out of the economy (gee that's familiar!), and Apple drives up the prices of all tablets and phones.
Thanks for nothing Apple. (Oh, and by the way, you weren't first with a tablet, portable audio device, etc.)
You know, I'm sick of apple! This iPhone I purchased, along with my brother and sister are the last we will ever purchase. They are a horrible, disgusting company trying to monopolize every aspect of the market! Why isn't the government stepping in like they LOVE to do with any other company that tries to monopolize the marketplace?
Wish I could take apple to court for poor quality phones and poor, egomaniac customer service! It's a shame there are so many sheep that lick the apple shoes.
Looks like aple is really starting to show it's "evil empire" side these days. With the way workers at foxxcon are being treated and now all the legal assaults on everyone else's products.
But look, almost always, Apple comes out with something new, and in short order everybody is a copy-cat. Can't the other guys be pioneer for once? Whatssamatter, don't have imagination?
Then why isn't the iPhone 4G?
I have noticed that most people who bash iPhones never owned one. I like iphone, it works for me, I also have an android and it works just fine and does the job, but as a package iphone just feels right in my hand. Plus I want ice cream sandwich on my Atrix, that's another thing I hate about android phones.
I'm sure once they release a 4G model they will claim to have retroactively invented 4G and sue everyone over it.
@wryview because true 4G doesn't exist on a consumer level. What's being marketed as 4G is really just a slightly faster 3G ("4"G doesn't come anywhere close to providing true 4G speeds), to be quite honest I'm surprised this issue hasn't been taken to court!
Give up Apple!!!!
I gave up my iPhone when the contract expired, to go Android. Just couldn't stand it anymore. And Siri wasn't a good enough thing to keep me. But, let Apple attack the Nexus. The only thing better is the OS. I still think when it comes to it, the Galaxy S II is a better all around phone.
Who needs Apple's Siri when Android has iris? ;P
Apple makes 1 BILLION dollars in profit A WEEK. They are the biggest company in the world by market value. And they want more money by suing competitors with frivolous lawsuits?!
That's their strategy; since Google proved to them they can't control the dominate market share through fair competition the new goal is to eliminate all competition through under handed tactics.
Google CEO was interviewed and stated he thought an open approach would always win over a closed model.
Let's not forget Apple lost the personal computer war badly by sticking with closed. They will lose again on phones in time.
North Korea is an example of a closed model, and see where it's lead them.
The shape of the icons? You've gotta be kidding me!
read this article
Really Samsung.
Wow! we have to make money by watching the competition rather than just moving on? Looks like Steve Jobs really did fail after all......... Bummer!
So this is what Apple is doing with the 160 something billion dollars that they're keeping out of country and away from their stockholders and the tax man. Paying lawyers to sue over similar icons. It's all crap, 99% of which nobody needs and bought by people, 99% of whom can't afford, for status and so they can tweet about their inconsequential lives and play games while they lose their homes. This while they pay their workers slave wages. What a world. Pitiful.
Here's an idea! Instead of spending millions on lawsuits to crush your competitors (you know, rather than actually competing with them by producing new and better products); put that money into moving your factory jobs to a place that doesn't need to have 90 psychologists on staff to prevent suicide at the work place. ;)
JessL how does samsung get a pass after articles like this when apple gets bashed?
Not defending apple but this is an issue with every tech company. If you had to choose between working for a samsung factory or foxconn what would you choose?
Actually Foxconn manufactures electronics for both Apple and Samsung.
The Samsung factory IS Foxconn.
Pretty much ever major electronics manufacture in the world uses Foxconn now days.
Avoiding Foxconn is as difficult as avoiding "Made in China". You can say you want to do to for any reason you choose but only the Amish are going to be successful.
the Amish are too busy making those groovy fake fireplaces you see on tv...
What a bunch of Apple haters. The ignorance and pure hatred seeps from every pore.
Did any of you even bother doing some research before writing ?
The lies , mis-interpretation and plain ignorance is numbing, can't be bothered going through every post and destroying the arguments (if you call them that).
I know this is a Microsoft-friendly site, but come on ! Are you all angry that your beloved Windoze/Office monopoly is slowly being destroyed ?
Have any of you even used any Apple products, if not, shut up. Us Apple folk have had hear and read this crap for years, yet not one of you M$ fan bois every used an Apple product, but suddenly were experts in it.
By the way how is Microsoft Windows Mobile Phone 7 Series doing ? Remember the mock funeral by the m$ employees about 2 years ago ?
Balmer - iPhone, $500 no one will buy that. use our wonderful Windoze mobile 6 phones, it does much more, and while you are at it, give our windoze tables a go, you may have to resort to a hammer and nail to get any response, but at least you get the full windoze experience on a tablet (heck 30 mins battery life, thats grand).
Apple's iPhone business is BIGGER than all of m$. Apple's profit bigger than m$ and google combined. And Apple will only get bigger, so where does that leave m$ ? I know, grabbing $10 per android handset for pattern infringement, and office, the most over rated bloated piece of junk ever developed. Its cool if you are an accountant, but many of us are not, and simply do not need it.
Bye, bye m$, you will go the way of the Doddo and Kodak.
Holy cow Mike! You are definitely not the biggest Apple sheep in the world (sarcasm). Get a grip dude. Not ONE person posted anything about Microsoft or Windows. Either you work for Apple or just orgasm whenever the word Apple comes from someones mouth. Apple steals ideas too, but they are going a little far with this patent crap. Tesla took Edison's idea of Direct Current and improved it and made Alternate Current. It's how the world works. Let's just all hope that the world is never ran by Apple and people like Mike.
WOAAA... Take it easy dude... Your nose is bleeding.
I thought that the discussion here was Apple's lawsuit over the Samsung Nexus (Which BTW, is a kick ass phone).
Since you're the "educated" one and everybody else here is stupid... Would you please share with us, what part of 2% PC market share makes Apple bigger than Microsoft?
Look, I like Apple, I think they're overprice and underdeliver, but I like it because it makes my wife happy... She loves the design... Her white iPod matches her white workout clothes.
Mike, you are a HUGE tool. The fact that you are taking people's comments about a corporation so personally proves to me you don't think for yourself.
MS or Apple? Who cares?
Keep on being a loyal consumer pal.
Whoaaa, nice manifesto Mike; I think you need some counseling. And most people here are just pointing out what every one already knows: Apple is a company built upon the ideas and designs of others and then they turn around and sue everyone they can if their product even remotely looks like an Apple product. Apple is the scourge of the IT world: they overcharge for their products, send their labor overseas to sweat shops, and wring money from everyon they can, but mainly their loyal sheep such as you.
And now that YOU brought up MS, I would like to point out I admire MS and Bill Gates much more than I do Apple and Steve Jobs. Gates said he realized there were more important things than his own personal interests and both he and MS donate tons of money to worthy causes. Jobs and Apple are almost non-existent in the philanthropic world. Apple and Jobs may be your heroes, but that only shows how shallow you are.
So sit and stroke your shiny iPhone, Apple appreciates your money. But try not to clutter the web with your self-centered rants, it gets in the way of the grown ups.
We've got a jumper!
Jobs isn't just his hero...it's his God.
Shame that, like all liberals, he's a hypocrite for all the reason pointed out here on newsvine.
Bullcrap. Oh, and it's "ever", not "every".
Lets talk about suicides shall we. Wasn't it the Foxconn employees used by m$ that threatened a mass suicide, me thinks it was. Yep, Apple is the ONLY company in the entire world that uses Chinese labour. Bad Apple, bad.
At least Apple is open, has procedures in place and constant auditing, what about m$, Dell, HP etc. etc. The silence is deafening.
By the way you don't care about the workers, its just a way of you showing to other m$ girlies that you hate Apple as much as they do. Pathetic ...
I'm not an Apple hater, in fact have used several of their products in the past. Foxconn is awful, and companies that support them, like HP, Amazon, Apple are awful too. What strikes a cord about Apple in particular is that they are in a position financially to not use that type of labor. Literally the labor costs of the workers at Foxconn accounts for something like 2% of the total price. This isn't an Apple issue, it's a human right's issue, and they (Apple) are more concerned with making sure that anything Android doesn't cut into their profits than making a human friendly product. That's the Evil in it.
OOPS...
Again you took the article out of context and got "schooled".
Here's the problem with the way you see things MIKE.
You argue that Microsoft and HP and Dell did it so why is Apple the culprit here?
A little thing called INTEGRITY... See, a person or corporation or group with integrity would not even have to answer this question. But INTEGRITY is bad for business , after all, why should you reduce your profit from 1 billion a week to 998 million just to provide better working conditions for your employees?
You believe one should do the right thing when everyone else does it... If no one else did it, why should you bother. And that's why YOU HAVE NO INTEGRITY...
You defend a company that overcharges you, treats workers like SH*T and attempts in every way to eliminate competition like it is your lifeline... And that my friend, MAKES YOU VAPID.
In this world, Microsoft is wrong, Dell in wrong, HP is wrong and so is Apple... But since no one cared before, why should you care now... Right?
hey mickey did you know that using the abbreviation M$ for Microsoft was original and fresh back in the early 90s? its not anymore it just makes you look like a bigger dope.
If the made Icrap people would buy it just because its Apple.
Odd. My Galaxy Nexus phone doesn't unlock by "sliding an image." The funny thing is, I just did a patent search and the only Apple patent that comes up involves unlocking via user-generated patterns, not "sliding an image." There are some other "phone unlock" patents owned by Kyocera and Nokia, who I imagine should be taking great interest in what Apple's doing right now....
@Mike-1940774 - methinks thou dost protest too much. The only person dragging Microsoft into this is you, and that's not a proper counter-argument to the comments that have been made. If that's all you got, you better run home, boy.
The two patents I know of are 7,657,849 and 8,046,721
Check out the USPTO's website uspto.gov
The kyocera patents are newer thus undifensible and I think nokia technology is already licensed. Samsung can do the same with apple, since a lot of samsung revenue comes from apple (A4, A5 chips)
The legal department at Apple has a yearly budget that must be spent, hence the never ending lawsuits and free publicity.
Will Apple never learn, first they tried the look & feel lawsuit against Microsoft and lost now they want to say if it has our name on it, then no one can even attempt to have something simular (this way we corner the market).
This is why Apple has relugated itself to a niche market and will never be though of as a main business player.
Microsoft is the one that learned. Apple has become what Microsoft once was.
In many ways they are worse because MS never had the cult following Apple has and they will blindly follow the company into whatever path it chooses to bulldoze.
Mike-1940774
I've used both PC's and Macs since they arrived on the scene...each is good and bad depending on your uses and needs and the same goes for the source companies of each product. Both companies use patent law, scale and built in design secrecy to maintain their market dominance.
Microsoft and Apple are giant corporations doing what corporations do best; creating markets for products manufactured at the possible lowest cost and then selling them to the highest bidders. It's a ruthless and amoral activity on the part of each company equally.
I think we would be better off removing our logo bearing T-shirts and arguing more about the lack of social integrity and integration of the market system that creates such entities than worrying about the relative superiority of their products.
As you appear to be an obviously avid Apple fan, I would ask how you feel about the Foxxconn aspect of Apple's product line?
I would reply with articles like this.
Samsung get away with not innovating and having worst working conditions then foxconn. Apple could do more, but so can oil companies and textile companies. Let's also remember that Foxconn is not owned by apple.
Lack of social integrity and integration, look no further than samsung.