When you look not only at the Judgment, but how truly innovative products have fared against dominant technology products over the last hundred years, my title to this piece is exactly how I feel. It seems that once we lock into a way of doing something, we fight change with all we have while complaining that the vendors aren’t innovating enough. Read more
I said this in August 24, 2011, exactly one year before a US jury declared that Samsung had intentionally copied Apple and then some: "We hope Apple wins the patent wars." And happily, they did. Yes, happily. Don't listen to the obtuse apologists and the blind fandroids of the me-too—this is great news for consumers and technology because it's the End of the iPhone Era. Read more
For longtime watchers and users in the Mac market, last week's verdict feels like a bit of payback. Yes, this time it's Apple against Samsung, but it's really a win against the rival OS vendor Google. Back in the early days of the Mac OS, it was Microsoft, and Mac fans are still a bit rankled by how that fight went down 25 or so years ago. Yet, the history offers a bit of hope that there's more than one way to paint a GUI. Read more
The Apple-Samsung verdict has sparked fears among mobile consumers in Asia that it will result in lesser innovation from the South Korean company and pave the way for Cupertino to become a monopoly in consumer electronics. Industry watchers, however, say both companies' reputation as market leaders are likely to remain intact. Read more
In what has been dubbed “the patent trial of the century,” Apple has emerged victorious beyond measure. On Friday a Silicon Valley jury ruled that a series of ubiquitous smartphone and tablet features—such as the rounded rectangular form and how screens slide and bounce when touched—are proprietary Apple innovations. Read more
Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, had already told Samsung executives at a meeting earlier that summer that he considered the Galaxy S, based on Google's Android operating system, an illegal copy of the iPhone. But given the extensive business ties between the two companies - Samsung is one of Apple's key component suppliers - a negotiated solution seemed most likely. Read more
Velvin Hogan, the jury foreman in the Apple-Samsung patent infringement case, has been making the media rounds following the jury's stunning verdict last week. In an interview Monday on Bloomberg TV, the 67-year-old electrical engineer explained the nine-member jury's process during its three days of deliberation. Hogan said the jury was "inundated with evidence" and revealed that the youngest member of the jury, a 20-year-old, was the one who provided most of the debate during deliberations. Read more
“The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy.” Apple CEO Tim Cook. Read more
Bottomline:
"We chose legal action very reluctantly and only after repeatedly asking Samsung to stop copying our work." - Apple CEO Tim Cook
Apple has successfully protected the passion, creativity and originality of the employees who work exceedingly hard to bring new innovations to the marketplace. This is an unprecedented win for the Apple Team. Samsung is a solid innovator, and has brought many exciting products to the marketplace. However, Samsung would be forced to make changes now, and ensure that it is not infringing on Apple's patents. Very few innovators are original. Even Apple has learned from past innovations and made them easier and better. However, when innovators copy parts or whole of patented inventions, knowingly or unknowingly, they would be held liable in the court of law.