Since I like Apple, I am aware that there are many lawsuits over patent infringement, but at the same time, I don’t have enough technical knowledge to understand the details. The largest lawsuit of them all, between Apple and Samsung, and between Samsung and Apple, is, however, of another dimension. Thank God the jury found that Samsung copied Apple’s iPhone intentionally. By some reason, the verdict was not the same for the iPad?
I have written about Apple and its copycat, Samsung, on my blog before.
To me, it’s obvious that Samsung has copied Apple in a way that seriously damages their rights as innovators and originators. How hard can it be? You can choose to develop your own products with a sovereign“personality” made of technical features, design, and material choices, and ensure you stay outside the grey zone where doubt about copying may arise. Or you do what Samsung does: analyse which smartphone is the best on the market, then make sure to copy it, piece by piece – which, obviously, is what they have done. The goofs even emailed about this, so anyone can read how their“development process” was conducted.
There will always be an amount of ”inspiration copying” in the overall development. But then it’s in a sound way. One sees how someone has solved a problem, sees how someone else has solved a similar problem, and you melt them together into something new. That’s a common way to define creativity. If you follow the development of tech stuff from the beginning, then you will naturally see that certain types of solutions follow each other over the years. But when it’s done properly, everyone makes their own interpretation, so to speak.
My first question is: how could Samsung be as bold as they have been? My next question is: how could Samsung be as stupid as they have been? I think they have burnt their candle at both ends. A lot of their products will get banned in US which is a considerable part of their market, they will have to pay more than $1 billion to Apple and they have nurtured a lot of developers who have been forced to specialize in copying in stead of innovation and at the same time they have became enemies with one of their biggest (if not THE biggest?) customer for electronical parts… Do you fancy buying a Samsung share? Well, I would not think so…
I wonder how many of Samsung’s devices will get banned from the US market? How did they dare to take that risk? And yet you hear the choir of complainers go on about the verdict being a loss for the American people, that it will reduce their options, and that it will make it difficult for the developers. Oh, wow… Of course, it should be difficult for the developers! Isn’t that part of the job, as well as coming up with good solutions? What kind of lazy people have done this ”copy-developing”? If they really want to make a difference, they should all be happy now, when the border for what is allowed has found a perfectly clear contour, which forces them to think in new ways. Think outside the box. In fact, we can all cheer the fact that the world can now look forward to another type of development that might offer bigger opportunities for developers to test real innovations, so that we all can gain from the new ideas instead of the lame copying that used Apple as the motor.
Furthermore, Samsung is not the only one involved in copying among Android developers. Google has just been too tame in giving access to Android development. The believers have talked warmly about how fantastic, open, and optional the Android world is compared to Apple. Of course, it is when they can run around like maniacs without showing any consideration to others… Add the fact that not even developers like to develop for Android because the Android users don’t really like to pay for apps – they expect everything to be free. iPhone users, however, like to pay. Apparently, they appreciate the work that is behind the apps.
I expect Microsoft and Windows 8 to gain from this verdict. They have tried to develop an operating system with a sovereign ”personality”. Credit to Microsoft! Unfortunately, Windows 8 doesn’t seem to be so well received, but I keep my fingers crossed that they’ll keep improving it.
Because I don’t think that the world gets any better if Apple are the only one being innovative. Apple could also become lazy. Seeing others’ good solutions gives you the energy to perform better. I am glad that the verdict clarified the rules. Let’s all be happy!
