Forget thermonuclear: Cook would rather settle
By Nicole Kobie
Posted on 25 Apr 2012 at 10:09
Apple's CEO would rather settle than continue to fight legal battles over patent disputes.
Apple is locked in a global patent battle with Samsung and other manufacturers over their use of Google's Android mobile OS.
Steve Jobs famously threatened to go "thermonuclear" on Android, saying he was willing to spend all of Apple's money "to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product".
However, his successor Tim Cook seems less enthusiastic about court showdowns.
The key thing is that it's very important that Apple not become the developer for the world
"I've always hated litigation," Cook said, according to a transcript of a conference call with investors. "We just want people to invent their own stuff. If we could get an arrangement where we can be assured that's the case, and that a fair settlement on stuff that's occurred, I would highly prefer to settle versus battle."
"The key thing is that it's very important that Apple not become the developer for the world," he added. "We need people to invent their own stuff."
A US judge has ordered Apple to hold talks with Samsung, which is not only its main target in the patent fight, but one of its major component suppliers.
Cook was taking questions following Apple's quarterly results, which saw the iPhone maker post $11.6bn in profit.
Oh, the irony
"We need people to invent their own stuff."
By dubiou on 25 Apr 2012 
Comment?
My last 3 failed to materialist.
Is this a bandwidth-saving measure?
By dubiou on 25 Apr 2012
If apple would stop ...
... trying to patent rectangles and bolts and other 'obvious' things we would not have even 10% of the problems we do.
To be fair, though, they didn't start it, are far from the only offender, and they are aided and abetted by the chocolate teapot US patent authorities who do not deny patents on the grounds of either prior art or obviousness.
It's also unclear if the European patent authorities are any better.
By qpw3141 on 25 Apr 2012
Patent trolls
This is illuminating:
http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_curtis_how_i_beat_a_
patent_troll.html
What I do not understand is WHY it is difficult to defend on the basis that a patent is invalid because of "prior art". The patent Curtis is talking about was granted in 1999. It MUST be possible to find an example of someone "creating and distributing a news release via email" prior to that date!
By JohnAHind on 25 Apr 2012
@ JohnAHind
That IS interesting (and amusing) and well worth watching.
http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_curtis_how_i_beat_a_
patent_troll.html
I liked this quote: "Don't negotiate with terrorists; patent trolls have done more damage to the United States economy than any domestic or foreign terrorist organization in history, every year." (Drew Curtis).
The quote is backup by a graphic on the clip.
By qpw3141 on 25 Apr 2012
Bump
...
By qpw3141 on 25 Apr 2012
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