Sorenson Countersues Apple

pinqkandi writes "MacCentral is reporting that Sorenson Media is countersuing Apple over a lawsuit Apple initiated in April claiming they have exclusive rights to Sorenson's codec. Sorenson, claiming Apple's lawsuit against them has severly hurt business, is seeking judgement against Apple in compensation. Apple originally brought on their lawsuit when Sorenson teamed up with Macromedia for Flash MX. Looks like good old Steve is back to his old self :-)"

Comments

Oh boo hoo hoo!

[wowbagger]

For years, Apple and Sorenson have played "Ask you mother" about making a Sorenson decoder available under Linux:

Developer: Sorenson, would you please let us release a binary only, closed version of your decoder for Xanim?

Sorenson: Well, we can't help you - Apple has an exclusive contract with us, so they will have to allow it. Go ask them.

Developer: Apple, would you please let us release a binary only, closed version of your decoder for Xanim?

Apple: Well, it's not ours to release, it belongs to Sorenson. Go ask them.

Now, the two of them are squabbling amonst themselves because Sorenson had the gall to let Macromedia have the decoder.

Boo Hoo Hoo, cry me a river....

Propriety formats are Apple's enemy. Or should be.

[Skyshadow]

You'd think Apple would be a little more anxious to promote open file formats.

Consinder: The only thing that makes platform relevant in modern times (other than number of games available) is the ability of users to interoperate in a networked environment -- to open word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. Other than that, people use their computers for largely platform-independant applications (surfing for porn and emailing prison inmates -- or is that just me?).

Given the rise of near-universal networking, you'd think that Apple would see this as their big second change. In fact, given their recent PR, it seems that at least part of the organization "gets" this. And yet, Apple continues to develop and promote decidedly unopen formats like Quicktime, which are definately not friendly to alternative platforms.

Maybe someone needs to drive to Cupertino, take Steve to Denny's and explain the concept of karma over a couple cups of coffee and some cheese sticks. Mmm... Cheese sticks.

unresearched

[Snuffub]

"Looks like good old Steve is back to his old self :-)"

exactly what thats supposed to mean is beyond me. There are good reasons to sue people you know. one of them being if your company signs an exclusive deal with another company for a product then that company turns around and sells the product to a competitor.

oh wait! thats what happened in this case.

Re:unresearched

[gwernol]

"Good old Steve" is in reference to the litigation-happy days when Jobs was CEO of Apple in the 80's, suing Microsoft, Adobe, and everyone else who displeased him.

Unfortunately that's factually incorrect. Apple sued Microsoft in 1988, four years after Steve was kicked out of Apple. In fact he was sued by Apple the year after he left in 1985: see this. So the Apple-Microsoft suit had nothing to do with Mr. Jobs. Whatever his faults he doesn't seem to be particularly litigous.