Apple Claims Samsung and Motorola Patent Monopoly

esocid writes with a bit in Daily Tech about the ongoing spat between Apple and the rest of the mobile world. From the article: "Apple lawyers are crying foul about Samsung, and ... Motorola's allegedly 'anticompetitive,' use of patents. ... Apparently Apple is irate about these companies' countersuits, which rely largely on patents covering wireless communications, many of which are governed by the 'fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory' (F/RAND) principle, as they were developed as part of industry standards. ... Apple takes issue with the fact that Motorola in its countersuit declines to differentiate the 7 F/RAND patents in its 18 patent collection. ... Regardless of what Florian Mueller says, it's hard to dispute that the 'rules' of F/RAND are largely community dictated and ambiguous."

Comments

How dare they sue us!

[Kenja]

We where just minding our own business, suing them, and then THEY SUED US for no reason!

Re:How dare they sue us!

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

It's really very unfair. Here we were, just defending our rightful monopoly over all things rectangular with screens on the front, and these uppity bastards with their "patents" on "foundational RF technologies" that they supposedly "invented" are getting all touchy about it. WTF?

World Class Hypocrisy

[Anonymous Coward]

So when Apple sues its competitors with overly broad patents it's "protecting its innovations"

When the targets of Apple's anti-competitive lawsuits counter-sue Apple cries "anti-competitive" monopoly.

Apple gets more evil every day.

Re:World Class Hypocrisy

[Anonymous Coward]

Most F/RAND patent licenses include retaliation clauses. A patent retaliation clause allows a company who is being sued over patent infringement to revoke licenses to its IP. I don't know about you, but generally when I sign a piece of paper I look at it what it says and think before I act because it may cost me.

Not only that, Apple seems to think they own rectangular device with an LCD touchscreen. Most of these Apple patents shouldn't even be valid. They "Just want" their competitors not to make phones with touch screens or process phone numbers to link them directly to the call function, or use an "Object oriented messaging system". Take your pick, most of these patents are crap.

Pot, meet Kettle

[Kagetsuki]

Remember that little kid that hit the other kids, but as soon as another kid hit back he'd start crying? Apple is now that kid.

Coincidense?

[Mensa Babe]

1. 1. Apple frivolously sue companies using Google's software using its bogus patents for rectangles.
2. 2. Google buys Motorola to use its patent portfolio defensively to protect themselves against such companies like Apple.
3. 3. Apple attacks Motorola who used to be so great in the past (Apple would never use the inferiour intel CPUs, right?) and now it is Motorola that is being a problem with their patents?! Make up your mind, Apple. Make up your mind.

hoist by their own petard

[YesIAmAScript]

Apple's unyielding patent attack has to come to trouble for them eventually. It's bad enough MS wants $15 from every Android phone, but Apple just plain is trying to bar companies from competing.

The industry will eventually respond with the only tool they have, more patent garbage.

Perhaps this is the start of that.

It's going to take a long time before Apple realizes they can't win this legal battle and they should have just kept competing in the marketplace instead. They're pretty good at that, I'm not sure why they want to try to turn the business into a web of red tape for everyone instead of just pushing forward.

Re:One point - FRAND was a promise to ALL

[gubers33]

Yes, but Motorola has no interest going after the little guy or any of the other companies that are minding their business. They are going after the guy who starting poking them with the stick. This isn't a lawsuit they placed out of no where. It is a counter-suit, meaning it is a reaction. Motorola has no interest in screwing over the phone interest. Apple essentially kicked a sleeping dog and has to pay the price.