> A modern analogy would be if AT&T was somehow able to ban putting protective cases on smartphones
A couple decades ago, one of the telephone companies in Canada sued a business that was giving away free protective vinyl covers for printed telephone directories. The vinyl covers were plastered with ads[1], so the telephone company argued that it was theft from their business or an infringement. I don't recall how the case turned out.
No equipment, apparatus, circuit or device not furnished by the telephone company shall be attached to or connected with the facilities furnished by the telephone company, whether physically, by induction or otherwise
That begs the question of whether, in some interpretation, the human holding it might also be considered a "device not furnished by the telephone company"...
Despite this ruling, for years the only way to get online was via an acoustic coupler (I used one to connect to CompuServe via Tymnet). In searching for images of them, I came across this set of someone connecting to a pay phone out of their van. I can't imagine how many quarters it took to get their email...
Neither Apple nor Sony have monopolies. Their respective offerings have plenty of competition. This is why "nobody seems to care." Don't like Apple's walled garden? Go elsewhere.
They lock you in at every step they can. In hopes to archive monopoly, or quasi monopoly market cornering.
ever since the walkman, sony tries to have a monopoly on media production. from betamax to memory stick cards to mini cd to blueray. oh, wait, they got it. what is the alternative to blueray when dvd goes away?
Apple tried to do that with custom ports and data formats and now found the sweet spot with apps and media. Adobe also tried that with formats a while ago but is giving up.
Interesting how it was used in Washington, DC (especially Congress) and New York, yet when it was banned by the FCC, Congress wasn't able to make it legal.
A couple decades ago, one of the telephone companies in Canada sued a business that was giving away free protective vinyl covers for printed telephone directories. The vinyl covers were plastered with ads[1], so the telephone company argued that it was theft from their business or an infringement. I don't recall how the case turned out.
[1] Example: http://www.westsky.com/phbkcvr1.jpg