Apple Asked Google Not to Use Multi-Touch in Android?

[MacRumors]

VentureBeat claims that Apple specifically asked Google not to use Multi-Touch in their Android platform and Google agreed. The report comes an unidentified member of the Android team:

Apple, which of course makes the signature multi-touch mobile device, the iPhone, apparently asked Google not to implement it, and Google agreed, an Android team member tells us.

According to the report, Google wanted to avoid risking its relationship with Apple. The same source claims that Apple's relationships with Palm have significantly soured surrounding the recent public statements that Apple would aggressively protect the iPhone's intellectual property. Palm's new Pre Phone is the first mobile phone to offer multi-touch gestures similar to Apple's iPhone.



Article Link: Apple Asked Google Not to Use Multi-Touch in Android?

[matthewlesh]

Wow.. just wow. I'd be amazed to think that Google would bow down to Apple.

That said i guess the relationship means more then the product?

[talkingfuture]

That is very interesting. Google and Apple must be much closer than I thought.

[anti-microsoft]

Well Steve did say when they first introduced it: "And boy have we patented it!"

Ams.

[raggedjimmi]

There must be so much more to this.

Super big company 1: hey don't do that, please.
Super big company 2: lol k

[kastenbrust]

Well considering the CEO of Google is on Apples Board of Directors this isn't suprising

http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/bod.html
(Dr. Eric Schmidt)

It still takes less than 3 minuets to hack the android phone and give it multitouch anyway.

[lastochka]

I cannot see how people (us customers) could benefit from such an agreement.

Inter-corporate politics at it's finest. You laugh until you cry, then you watch http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/ .

[MattyK]

Super big company 1: hey don't do that, please.
Super big company 2: lol k

Is actually a pretty simple way of putting it, You could just imagine steve jobs on the phone with google CEO saying 'Sup man, wanna drop the multi touchz0rs pl0x?' - Google CEO 'Sure thing steve, i'll get my cat- i mean guys onto it ASAP.' ...'and there's just one last thing.'

[bob_the_gorilla]

Originally Posted by lastochka

I cannot see how people (us customers) could benefit from such an agreement.

Yeah, that's why companies do stuff. To help consumers! It's not at all to make money, right?

I do find it rather hard to believe that Apple would simply "ask" Google not to use multitouch; even harder that Google would simply say okay. Apple would have to have something over Google, or offer them something. That or, just maybe, this report from an anonymous source is complete BS.

[rjflyn]

Or the old cost vs payout, risk vs reward games. They could have used multi-touch but it would have cost them maybe a patent lawsuit. The also may already be getting $$ from Apple for the iPhone which we have seen is selling like no tomorrow. So that could be another potential financial loss. With the economy and Google's $$ coming mostly from ads, any money in is something one might not want to give up. Still sucks though.

[Cybbe]

This shows how Apple and the ridiculous intellectual property rights system is stiffling competition and hurting consumers.

[alexbates]

I am surprised this would happen. I would think that they would forget their relationship And focus on their products and competition.

[rhpenguin]

This is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. If this is the case, Apple is going to stifle innovation on this front for years.

Apple is the new Microsoft. But a whole lot worse.

[Shasterball]

There must be more than meets the eye here. Otherwise, wouldn't this raise some serious anti-trust issues? (not that I really know).

[MattyK]

Originally Posted by rhpenguin

Apple is the new Microsoft. But a whole lot worse.

As much as I hate it, I'm going to have to agree with you. Apple used to be about the people, but now its about ze muneez.

[alexbates]

Originally Posted by MattyK

As much as I hate it, I'm going to have to agree with you. Apple used to be about the people, but now its about ze muneez.

No, I think that Apple is still about the people and making the best products that they possibly can. Otherwise, their support would be aweful.

[svndmvn]

while Asus/HP VooDoo already have multitouch.

[Tampa Tom]

If a company has intellectual property (in this case a granted patent on the iPhone) they must protect it. A company just can't say, "Aww shucks I guess you maybe can copy us." If they do, they LOSE their rights to protect it in court. They can licence the technology, but can't knowingly allow a company to copy it.

Apple has spent millions on the development of a new and novel device and interface. It is their obligation to the shareholders of the company (me and lots of others) to protect the investment.

Apple, sue the pants off of any company that infringes on the patents and claims !

[matthewlesh]

We do have to consider one possibility.. This source is full of **** and google is just to lazy or still working on it or something.

[The Phazer]

It strikes me that "asking" may have been along the lines of a slightly more friendly version of "we've patented this, so don't try it or we'll sue the pants off you."

Which would also make sense as to why Google listened.

Phazer

[coolfactor]

Originally Posted by Shasterball

There must be more than meets the eye here. Otherwise, wouldn't this raise some serious anti-trust issues? (not that I really know).

No. If Google willingly agreed, then there's no problem. Anti-trust comes in when one company forces the competition into a corner.

I agree there must be more to this, but Google loves the iPhone and how much revenue it's generating for them, I'm sure. Why compete with that?

And there's yet another possibility. Google didn't implement multi-touch natively in Android, but hardware manufacturers using the OS would be free to try to implement it, no? That keeps Google on the good side of Apple, and then Apple would have other fish to fry.

[eric_n_dfw]

Now that Apple's patents are approved for this, I bet we see a bunch of people sued or striking licensing deals.

As for the pc's and laptop/netbooks already using it, if they fall under Apple's patents, they probably will be able to license it as I don't see it being a big competitive advantage. I'd bet that other handheld devices will be out of luck since multitouch is such a BIG differentiator of the iPhone.

There are plenty of other ways to compete with the iPhone; Google knew this and decided to compete on openness, a real keyboard and higher performance with the G1, BlackBerry decided to try the "click screen" thing, my wife opted against a iPhone because of it's size, etc... Apple does not "own" this market by any stretch.

I bet Palm either didn't do the due diligence or thinks they can defend themselves in court against Apple's patents. Maybe they'll try to prove prior art existed like Hann's demo at TED2006: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcKqyn-gUbY (Although I'm pretty sure Apple's implementation is totally different) Who knows.

[nick9191]

Originally Posted by rhpenguin

This is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. If this is the case, Apple is going to stifle innovation on this front for years.

Apple is the new Microsoft. But a whole lot worse.

Worse than Microsoft? That would be buying out companies so they don't need to innovate, that would be not releasing a new OS or web browser for 6 years so the entire industry gets dragged behind. That would be putting proprietary non standard features into their products so that stuff does not work on other platforms. Not only that but Apple does not hold a monopoly in the phone market as Microsoft do in the PC market.

Apple does do a good job protecting the consumer. iTunes Music store for one example.

Protecting your Intellectual Property is not halting innovation. It means companies have to create something better. Look at all the other multi touch phones out there, they are a half assed rip off of the iPhones multi touch.

[coolfactor]

Originally Posted by alexbates

No, I think that Apple is still about the people and making the best products that they possibly can. Otherwise, their support would be aweful.

Agreed. While Apple has made a major push to build revenue on numerous fronts, that has only allowed them to do what they do best... create a great user experience. Steve, himself, stands up there on stage and communicates that for us all to hear. They don't have some hidden, sly agenda. It takes money to do what they do. While it's easy to focus on just the money-making goal alone, one must take it in context. Apple has not wavered from a commitment to quality. If anything, their insane revenues enable them to pursue it even more.

[Jayomat]

agreed, but don't go too far with these pink glasses...