

Apple, Google reportedly in patent truce talks - morisy
http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/30/larry-page-tim-cook-patent-chat/

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yequalsx
I've thought for some time that Microsoft, Apple, and Google would end up
forming a patent cartel. At some point they'll each have the patent equivalent
of mutually assured destruction. It seems to me that it is in their interest
to maintain the present patent system, not sue each other, and then crush any
newcomers. It may not happen now but it will happen eventually, I think.

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eurleif
I'd hope that "don't be evil" would preclude Google from participating in a
patent cartel to keep newcomers out of the market. Maybe not, though.

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sigzero
Google _is_ just like every other company, don't be fooled by any slick
slogans.

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guimarin
What was old is new again. All this has happened before, and all this will
happen again. Apple, Google, and Microsoft are the new "Big Three" ( Ford, GM,
Chrysler ).

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CamperBob2
_All this has happened before, and all this will happen again._

Yep. The last time a global thermonuclear patent war happened, it was even
uglier ( <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Howard_Armstrong> ).

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dlikhten
To be honest, I knew this was going to happen. Apple made the lawsuit against
samsung, but google has a big BIG bomb to throw: Map Reduce. If google whips
out map reduce, apple is screwed. Basically without it apple will be VERY hard
pressed to do business, it's techniques are used by many frameworks in the
iphone. This would be the equivalent of the US throwing the a-bomb on japan.
Apple being japan.

Apple, with googarolla's lawsuit, may have actually realized just how big of a
bear they hit.

Now, I sure hope the dispute ends, BUT as yequalsx points out this is a
dangerous slope. While I don't believe they will form a patent cartel, a 4th
party trying to create a new mobile os will be in danger. While google won't
sue, Applesoft might.

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Steko
The whole "patents kill new entrants" idea has kind of been exploded by the
fact that two companies that didn't make phone OS's 6 years ago and didn't
have a lot of mobile IP now have close to 90% of the market.

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djloche
Apple bought up several companies that did have relevant patents and
technology. Google did the same thing.

In the age of nuclear patents, you either have to have tons of money to
license patents, buy companies that own patents, or successfully be granted
patents.

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Steko
Why do I need tons of money to be granted a patent? Or license? What
hypothetical new entrant to commercial scale phone design and manufacturing
doesn't have any money?

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loceng
Will they come after the little guys then?

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tomkit
So much for "thermonuclear war"

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api
So now we have an Apple/Google oligopoly on mobile devices and fluid UIs.

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rbanffy
Once again, the Mutually Assured Destruction doctrine proves its value.

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indiecore
Great, back to MAD fought out though the big three crushing small startups.

