-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
Apple Withholds Patent From Widget Standard
,----[ Quote ]
| It's way too common these days. The latest to do this appears to be Apple,
| who withheld a key patent on technology for online "widgets", which has
| recently been standardized. The standard was set by the W3C, who asked for
| companies to commit their patents royalty-free in order to move the standard
| forward so that everyone could benefit. Instead, Apple held out a key patent,
| and can now start demanding people pay up.
`----
http://techdirt.com/articles/20090312/0315594086.shtml
Recent:
Apple's View On Patents Then And Now
,----[ Quote ]
| For all the talk among patent system defenders about how patents are most
| necessary for young startup companies that need to grow, most tech startups
| couldn't care much less about patents (other than as a bogus currency to
| increase their valuation in talking to VCs). Startups are focused on actually
| building a product and getting it out to the market. Instead, what we see
| time and time again is that it's the big, more established companies that use
| patents to stifle startups, rather than the other way around. Startups
| innovate, while big companies litigate.
|
| [...]
|
| The company was incredibly open in sharing ideas and concepts, and wasn't
| going around threatening others for ripping off its IP (that did come
| later... especially with the graphical user interface, which Jobs himself
| admitted "ripping off" from Xerox... which had "ripped it off" already from
| SRI). It's really only when you're afraid of competing in the marketplace
| that you rely on patents. When you're young and innovative you focus on the
| possibilities and opportunities in front of you, rather than on ways to block
| others from innovating.
`----
http://techdirt.com/articles/20090129/0331363567.shtml
Related:
Sun exec accuses Microsoft of 'patent terrorism'
,----[ Quote ]
| The efforts of Microsoft to pressure the Linux community over alleged and
| unspecified patents is akin to "patent terrorism", according to a local
| executive for Sun Microsystems.
`----
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Sun-exec-accuses-Microsoft-of-patent-terrorism-/0,130061733,339280437,00.htm
Microsoft, the art of Corporate Terrorism.
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft, no longer the technological leader in the Computer Desktop
| market, is taking on a terrorist role in its attempt remain in power
| at all costs. (see the link to the CNN story below)
|
| The tactic is intended to frighten current, and would be, free
| software users away from products that Microsoft just can't compete
| with. It's not a new tactic, but for the first time desperation is
| beginning to show.
`----
http://sweetcomputing.com/index.php?wiki=Microsoft_Terrorism
Convicted Monopolist Terrorizes Software Industry
,----[ Quote ]
| That headline is designed to grab your attention. Sensationalistic as
| it may be, it also happens to be true, if what you mean by 'terrorize'
| is to provoke fear.
|
| If you've been following the presidential race in the United States,
| you know the present crop of candidates have been exploiting the fear
| of the American people as they never have before in the history of
| the country.
`----
http://www.linux.org/news/opinion/ms_threats.html
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
iEYEARECAAYFAkm7FZwACgkQU4xAY3RXLo6/YgCfRpbxTOUq9P95mo+/hNOg9TPv
5HYAn2GSEm1nuwrmwIiyJGeneoDVvRmN
=EXSy
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
|
|
