Antitrust Investigation of Apple Led Nortel Patent Purchase

[genovelle]

That sounds more emotional than factual. But hey, you have your opinion and you stick to it. Well done.

Like the picture too.

Google was secretly working on several projects that being on Apple's board afforded their CEO access to Apples secrets. Then the fact they duplicated much of what apple and jumped right into the market as a competitor means he should have long left the board. It was a sneaky low move.

 

[cozmot]

This is like pro wrestling...the bad guys keep changing.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

They betrayed Apple, on many levels, and You don't do that to Steve Jobs.

They being Google "violated the alliance"

That's ridiculous. Google is out to deliver long-term return to their shareholders. If they felt like entering another market (one that Apple was in) was the way to do that, so be it.

I don't believe the patents should have gone to auction. If Nortel is bankrupt, maybe the patents could have gone to the public domain.

Read up on how bankruptcy works. They're liquidating assets to pay their creditors and shareholders. They'd get sued if they gave it up for free, and rightly so.

He did work for Apple.

Board of Directors.

[*]He took the information he found out while working at Apple, and used it to release a touch base equivalent Android device.
[*]He basically, stole.
[*]Google has no original thinking, and no culture.

And what information did he steal? A phone with a large touchscreen? C'mon. He purchased the company Android before Apple announced the iPhone and licensed their OS to hardware manufacturers.

I don't mind competition, but there copying and competing, much like how Microsoft did with Apple's OS.

So we're going to just ignore everything Apple has done that was shady?
http://gawker.com/5279072/email-details-secret-google+apple-deal-on-employees

When Google can innovate, and compete, then we can talk.

Both Apple and Google purchase dozens of companies per year to "innovate". No doubt that Apple's employees are brilliant, but it's not like everything they do is homegrown.

Again, this and their useless influence to ask for an investigation over these patents, proves to me, that google can't innovate.

If Google influencing an anti-trust investigation proves they're not able innovate, then what is Apple's PURCHASE of prior innovation (patents) called? Calm down, this stuff happens all the time.

Notice how Microsoft, is struggling hard to have a functional mobile OS.. why? because they can't copy Apple's success, they need to become innovative (which isn't in the company DNA), so they will continue to struggle. But at least Microsoft isn't jumping the copying ship on this front, much like Google has done.

Their mobile OS is developing nicely.

Again loyalty is big to Apple, don't bite the Apple that feeds you. Google will learn the hard way about this.

While Brin, Page, and Schmidt laugh all the way to the bank. There's a reason Brin and Page are far richer than Jobs (and Schmidt isn't far off).

Apple is a company of artist, where raw sand comes in one end, and comes out the other, as silicon art.

Wow, seriously?

 

[yg17]

• He did work for Apple.
• He "willingly" resigned.
• He took the information he found out while working at Apple, and used it to release a touch base equivalent Android device.
• He basically, stole.
  [*]Google has no original thinking, and no culture.

Right, which is why Google had a pulldown notification center in Android, Twitter integration, multitasking, cloud music and complete PC freedom in Android long before Apple had it in iOS.

You're entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

 

[erzhik]

Maybe they should have saved up some cash instead of buying Youtube for billions.

It's their own stupidity for the spot they are in and their Android system blows anyway. It's fragmented and bloated and has no eco-system or direction.

die hard Apple fan, aren't you?

Youtube was like pocket change for Google.

Just because you think Android blows, 500,000 activations per day say otherwise. And do you even know what eco-system is? Didn't think so.

I mean, no offense, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but posting such stupid opinions on a public forum shows lack of any common sense whatsoever.

 

[dethmaShine]

Right, which is why Google had a pulldown notification center in Android, Twitter integration, multitasking, cloud music and complete PC freedom in Android long before Apple had it in iOS.

You're entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

Notifications - SBSettings? A freaking drop-down menu? OS X top status bar? Windows Mobile? -- No Android invented the drop-down menu

Twitter Integration - Integrating a service is an invention? Or you mean like OS X services built into the OS; also provides 3rd party developers to call APIs for these services? -- Android invented integration?

Multi-tasking - You mean android invented multi-tasking? Need I say more?

PC Freedom - Where have been downloading movies and songs from for the last 3 years? - Where have you been renting movies for the past 3 years? On another note, Google invented PC Freedom?

You also are entitled to your opinion - like the quoted post. But unfortunately it sounds more than ridiculous.

 

[dethmaShine]

die hard Apple fan, aren't you?

Youtube was like pocket change for Google.

Just because you think Android blows, 500,000 activations per day say otherwise. And do you even know what eco-system is? Didn't think so.

I mean, no offense, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but posting such stupid opinions on a public forum shows lack of any common sense whatsoever.

First tell yourself; then others.

 

[couto27]

during the nortel auction google bid random numbers $ 1.454.468, $3.452.345 and they laugh about, it seems they didnt take the auction very serious.

who´s laughing now ? ******* Y** google

 

[yg17]

Notifications - SBSettings? A freaking drop-down menu? OS X top status bar? Windows Mobile? -- No Android invented the drop-down menu

Twitter Integration - Integrating a service is an invention? Or you mean like OS X services built into the OS; also provides 3rd party developers to call APIs for these services? -- Android invented integration?

Multi-tasking - You mean android invented multi-tasking? Need I say more?

PC Freedom - Where have been downloading movies and songs from for the last 3 years? - Where have you been renting movies for the past 3 years? On another note, Google invented PC Freedom?

You also are entitled to your opinion - like the quoted post. But unfortunately it sounds more than ridiculous.

I never said Google invented those. What I'm saying is that the notion that all Google did in Android was steal from Apple, and that Apple is innovative, it complete bull.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Notifications - SBSettings? A freaking drop-down menu? OS X top status bar? Windows Mobile? -- No Android invented the drop-down menu

Twitter Integration - Integrating a service is an invention? Or you mean like OS X services built into the OS; also provides 3rd party developers to call APIs for these services? -- Android invented integration?

Multi-tasking - You mean android invented multi-tasking? Need I say more?

PC Freedom - Where have been downloading movies and songs from for the last 3 years? - Where have you been renting movies for the past 3 years? On another note, Google invented PC Freedom?

You also are entitled to your opinion - like the quoted post. But unfortunately it sounds more than ridiculous.

Look, you're missing the point. The post he was referring to was saying Google can't innovate and Apple CAN. He was posting showing that most of the new features in iOS 4 and 5 were already in Android. Both OS's draw inspiration and ideas from each other and from other technologies out there, but at least acknowledge that fact instead of putting one OS up on a Pedestal of Innovation when it clearly is taking cues from a different one.

 

[dethmaShine]

I never said Google invented those. What I'm saying is that the notion that all Google did in Android was steal from Apple, and that Apple is innovative, it complete bull.

Lets just leave it to opinions and not care about facts?

Android looked like a freakin blackberry clone before it spotted an iPhone.

Most of the libraries in the android developer reference have similar named API's let alone similar UI design.
Same tableViews, navigationViews, tabViews.

Nobody cares about Android having a 3.5" or 4.3" touch screen interface. The fact that the UI changed drastically from a bad blackberry rip-off to a bad iPhone ripoff is quite evident. If you cannot see it, great.

What about Google+? It's freaking Facebook ripoff with Helvetica instead of Lucida Grande and grey instead of blue. Tell me google is original.

 

[dethmaShine]

Look, you're missing the point. The post he was referring to was saying Google can't innovate and Apple CAN. He was posting showing that most of the new features in iOS 4 and 5 were already in Android. Both OS's draw inspiration and ideas from each other and from other technologies out there, but at least acknowledge that fact instead of putting one OS up on a Pedestal of Innovation when it clearly is taking cues from a different one.

He also claimed that iOS copied the notifications and what-not. Maybe you missed that line.

But I do get the point. Competetition drives innovation but I hardly see google coming out with something original.

EDIT: Maybe I misread. Sorry.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

What about Google+? It's freaking Facebook ripoff with Helvetica instead of Lucida Grande and grey instead of blue. Tell me google is original.

Google+ is far better than Facebook, except for the current lack of users. Google+, with Circles, replaces twitter, facebook, and linkedin.

I mean, if you want to say that Android is not coming out with original stuff, what does that make what Apple is coming out with?

 

[cmaier]

I vote for that, it would quickly become the biggest section of the site!

I vote against. They're not equipped - they frequently misreport things entirely (for example characterizing the patent based on what the abstract says).

 

[dethmaShine]

Google+ is far better than Facebook, except for the current lack of users. Google+, with Circles, replaces twitter, facebook, and linked in.

So you steal Facebook's entire UI layout.
You steal the innovative circle UI design in Microsoft kin for sharing content.

You change the freaking fount and make something better? True that.

I mean, if you want to say that Android is just a rip off of previous iPhones, then WHY is iOS just now integrating a drop-down status bar and why were they late to the party on multi-tasking? They take ideas from each other. That's how this works.

- What do you mean late? Android still doesn't support GUI Acceleration? What's the point? The iPhone's hardware limited multi-tasking and battery was more important to Apple's core idea then. They were late - but they never copied any multi-tasking implementation. On android, it just looks like Symbian. Tell me I'm wrong.

- You mean Apple took the idea of multi-tasking from Android?

 

[yg17]

Lets just leave it to opinions and not care about facts?

Android looked like a freakin blackberry clone before it spotted an iPhone.

The Android that looked like a BlackBerry was a very early prototype. Anyone who has spent a day working as a software engineer knows you get functionality working then pretty up the UI later because that's generally the easy part. You should see the stuff I'm working on at work right now - the UI is an ugly mess straight out of the 1990s because I'm getting the actual functionality working. The UI I can polish up in a day.

Most of the libraries in the android developer reference have similar named API's let alone similar UI design.
Same tableViews, navigationViews, tabViews.

Tables, navigation and tabs are standard UI elements that have been around long before the iPhone was even a part of Steve Job's dreams. It's like accusing Honda of being copycats because the newest Civic has a steering wheel and tires.

Nobody cares about Android having a 3.5" or 4.3" touch screen interface. The fact that the UI changed drastically from a bad blackberry rip-off to a bad iPhone ripoff is quite evident. If you cannot see it, great.

If someone's Android phone looks like iOS, it's because they customized it that way. That's the beauty of Android that's missing from iOS - I can customize my phone however I want. I can have widgets on my home screen, or icons, or whatever. My phone looks nothing like iOS. Out of the box, it looked nothing like iOS. But if I want to, I can remove my widgets from my home screen and put down a grid of icons and make it resemble iOS. But I would never do that, because widgets are a great feature, and I expect Apple to steal, oops, I mean innovate, and add them in iOS 6.

What about Google+? It's freaking Facebook ripoff with Helvetica instead of Lucida Grande and grey instead of blue. Tell me google is original.

I'm not on Google+, but from what I've seen about it, it doesn't look much like Facebook at all.

 

[shartypants]

You touched on a important topic... Google is patent dry in this market, and this is there only way to be competitive.

If the company showed loyalty towards Apple and the other tech companies in the area, they might have had a chance at some of these patents.

I just wonder why Google is trying to be in the phone business anyway. They seem to have their fingers in too many pies lately. I think they would be better off just staying in the search, advertising and map businesses.

 

[dethmaShine]

The Android that looked like a BlackBerry was a very early prototype. Anyone who has spent a day working as a software engineer knows you get functionality working then pretty up the UI later because that's generally the easy part. You should see the stuff I'm working on at work right now - the UI is an ugly mess straight out of the 1990s because I'm getting the actual functionality working. The UI I can polish up in a day.

You're not the only one working with stuff. Many people are. So am I.
If polishing means - a freaking copy? then sure.

Tables, navigation and tabs are standard UI elements that have been around long before the iPhone was even a part of Steve Job's dreams. It's like accusing Honda of being copycats because the newest Civic has a steering wheel and tires.

Would love to see an instance of Navigation and TabBar views as core UI elements in User Interface Design prior to the iPhone. Citation needed.

If someone's Android phone looks like iOS, it's because they customized it that way. That's the beauty of Android that's missing from iOS - I can customize my phone however I want. I can have widgets on my home screen, or icons, or whatever. My phone looks nothing like iOS. Out of the box, it looked nothing like iOS.

Really? Mine did. My HTC desire HD had a very similar UI for icons - which is quite normal in traditional UI design - that's all right. But everything else from scroll bar imitation to TabViews, it was a direct copy. The way it worked - they way it was meant to work - just imitated the iPhone.

But if I want to, I can remove my widgets from my home screen and put down a grid of icons and make it resemble iOS. But I would never do that, because widgets are a great feature, and I expect Apple to steal, oops, I mean innovate, and add them in iOS 6.

See? You're just being more ridiculous with your comments, one by one. Widgets have been very well implemented in MacOSX and still apple will steal from Google? Sure.

I'm not on Google+, but from what I've seen about it, it doesn't look much like Facebook at all.

Well, then you shouldn't talk about it. It's a freaking copy of Facebook. From suggestion - to wall - to likes and comments UI design.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

That's ridiculous. Google is out to deliver long-term return to their shareholders. If they felt like entering another market (one that Apple was in) was the way to do that, so be it.

I am neither an Apple or Google fan, however true your statement is do tell as to why Google did not enter the tablet PC market before . Why wait till released the iPad and then work on HoneyComb. I am curious to Googles direction that is all.

Board of Directors.

Again I have no ill-feeling against the past, however he was on BoD who are privy to a lot of advanced information on the companies present and future direction. Things like the iPhone, iPad and iOS even Mac OS future release are planned years ahead of time. does not wake up one bright morning and start work on an iPhone or iPad or even iOS, there is a lot of planning, experimenting, R&D and so forth. Considering he was on the BoD when all this was in the planning stages and to some level development stages, seems suspicious that he comes up with the concept of Android OS for phones and now tablets. Coincidence, maybe however highly likely.

And what information did he steal? A phone with a large touchscreen? C'mon. He purchased the company Android and used their OS to license out to hardware manufacturers.

Google does not make hardware as of yet so I am not sure why bring up the touchscreen argument other than Touch GUI. Touch GUI existed well before and so did gesturers. Not sure when Google started to actually develop they OS internally and finally make it public knowledge, however given that he was on BoD seems rather interesting.

So we're going to just ignore everything Apple has done that was shady?
http://gawker.com/5279072/email-details-secret-google+apple-deal-on-employees

and other companies have poached talent from rival companies, nothing new. also claims new features which were actually from BeOS, Windows and buying other companies entirely. Its they childish marketing claims that is questionable. I could care less who borrows a feature as long as it benefits the end-user.

Both Apple and Google purchase dozens of companies per year to "innovate". No doubt that Apple's employees are brilliant, but it's not like everything they do is homegrown.

This happens frequently even outside the tech industry, people get the wrong idea that a single company has all great ideas. This is very untrue, its the small no name developer that have the great ideas. Similar to Indie Movies.

If Google influencing an anti-trust investigation exemplifies them not being able to innovate, then what is Apple's PURCHASE of prior innovation (patents) called? Calm down, this stuff happens all the time.

I am sure if Google won the patents, it would have been another company that would cry anti-trust. Why get ones panties in a bunch when the investigation is on-going, if the companies have nothing to hide then there is no fear. I never understood this childish bashing even if it was on "Mac"rumours. Been using Mac OS for over 25 years and Linux for 6 months still do not see the need to take sides, its what I prefer at home and at work its Windows. Get over it.

Their mobile OS is developing nicely.

Neither iOS or Android OS is mature to make any claims. If you prefer one or the other good for you. This isn't a pissing competition. Many people and the industry claimed that would be bought up or not exist in the 90's. Well its history.

While Brin, Page, and Schmidt laugh all the way to the bank. There's a reason Brin and Page are far richer than Jobs (and Schmidt isn't far off).

Steve Jobs only take a $1.00 salary and the rest is all shares and bonuses. With his ailing health I do not think that making millions and billions as a salary for his personal wealth is of importance to his life and family. He loves what he does at and that is why he wants the company to succeed and influence the industry and its user-base. I believe he has succeed.

Something tells me that the iOS and the Post-PC devices is going to be his legacy. I cannot think of another way forward other than implanting micro processors into our bodies.

 

[dethmaShine]

@ yg17 - nomnom

Statuary warning: before people like KnightWRX, quote the following for a mandatory backlash:
I am huge fanboy - ridiculous Apple worshiper - an iSheep - blind Jobs follower - for siding with Apple on AppleRumors.com; whereas you are quite bold - and are a lot mature - understand things better - are not a blind Apple fan - just because you have an anti-apple opinion that comes from a person with an android-eating apple avatar on an apple based forum.

 

[darkplanets]

I feel like anytime any important IP is purchased by someone who would be interested in said IP for product development (ex: not a holding company), antitrust regulators are involved. As such, this doesn't really surprise me, however what the government deems anticompetitive versus my personal opinions differ quite a lot in this area.

As long as the IP is offered at FRAND, I see no reason for this to even be questioned, at least in the purview of governmental regulation. Although personally I think if it was that important Google should have bid more and taken the process seriously, and therefore I'm led to the opinion that if they get shafted, it's their fault.

As per the Google+ delineation... let's put it this way. I'm already wary of facebook having some of my data. I'm definitely wary of Google having it, especially in light of past transgressions and their tendencies for data mining.

 

[yg17]

You're not the only one working with stuff. Many people are. So am I.
If polishing means - a freaking copy? then sure.

Except it's not a copy...

Would love to see an instance of Navigation and TabBar views as core UI elements in User Interface Design prior to the iPhone. Citation needed.

Tabs, right there at the bottom. It even has the year on it. Before the iPhone came out. And that's mobile. On desktop? Tabs have been around since at least the Windows 3.1 days.

Really? Mine did. My HTC desire HD had a very similar UI for icons - which is quite normal in traditional UI design - that's all right. But everything else from scroll bar imitation to TabViews, it was a direct copy. The way it worked - they way it was meant to work - just imitated the iPhone.

Like I said....tabs have been a common UI design element since GUIs were first invented.

See? You're just being more ridiculous with your comments, one by one. Widgets have been very well implemented in MacOSX and still apple will steal from Google? Sure.

And Apple "borrowed" the widgets idea from Konfabulator.

Well, then you shouldn't talk about it. It's a freaking copy of Facebook. From suggestion - to wall - to likes and comments UI design.

Which is why I'm not really talking about it and just stating what I've seen from screenshots.

 

[dethmaShine]

Except it's not a copy...

Image

Tabs, right there at the bottom. It even has the year on it. Before the iPhone came out. And that's mobile. On desktop? Tabs have been around since at least the Windows 3.1 days.

Wow. Good Lord. I never said that tabs were rare or Apple invented tabs.

Look at those tabs and the tabs you find in Android after iPhone. If you cannot see them properly - I cannot help.

There have been tabs in OSX/Windows for long. Hell almost all UNIX variants had tabs from the beginning. You are entirely missing the point.

Image



Like I said....tabs have been a common UI design element since GUIs were first invented.

Phew!

And Apple "borrowed" the widgets idea from Konfabulator.

C'mon! Just say they stole them? Like people make applications using C/C++/Java on different platforms - but that's not borrowing right?

But never mind, the only new thing about Konfabulator widgets was they were written in HTML/JS. Desktop Accessories in MacOS traditionally were written in OS Native Code.

But still, they "borrowed" it right?

Which is why I'm not really talking about it and just stating what I've seen from screenshots.

Seriously? I cannot believe you for saying that. The screenshots clearly reveal that its a pathetic Facebook ripoff.

 

[nutjob]

The smartphone os market is pretty competitive. I do not see an issue here.

You don't see an issue with one group being able to have the other players withdraw from the market because they hold key patents? You don't understand patents at all.

 

[ChazUK]

Really? Mine did. My HTC desire HD had a very similar UI for icons - which is quite normal in traditional UI design - that's all right. But everything else from scroll bar imitation to TabViews, it was a direct copy. The way it worked - they way it was meant to work - just imitated the iPhone.

I may have missed what you are trying to say here but you should remember that many of the UI elements on the Desire HD are a part of HTC Sense and not Android as an OS.