EFF doesn't ask companies to ignore patents but for the people to voice the opposition to patents so that the government has some incentive to reform the patent system.
And in your "fair play" analogy you should be explicit about which party do you think doesn't play fair. There seems to be a misconception that it's about Apple accusing Samsung of patent infringement but if you pay attention it's also about Samsung accusing Apple of patent infringement, so at best it's a pot-kettle kind of situation.
And if you pay further attention, Apple has just been found guilty infringing Samsung's patents in Korea so "Apple good, Samsung bad" seems to be a simplistic view of the situation.
We know one thing about this war: Apple fired the first shot.
Samsung fired the first shot when they had the South Korean government delay the introduction of the iPhone to South Korea to give them time to develop a clone.
It is very curious that the cries to reform the patent system have risen simultaneous with Google's need to copy Apple in android, and was started by Google's lawyer.
>There seems to be a misconception that it's about Apple accusing Samsung of patent infringement
Apple is accusing Samsung of patent infringement, and has provided evidence proving that Samsung deliberately set out to copy Apple's products trade dress. Samsung only counter sued to try and save face.
>Samsung accusing Apple of patent infringement, so at best it's a pot-kettle kind of situation.
No, there's a huge difference. Samsung is attacking Apple for patents that Samsung agreed to license on FRAND terms in order to get them made part of standards. Apple never made such an agreement to license its designs-- but when it discovered Samsung was copying it, it offered Samsung a license, which Samsung refused.
> Apple fired the first shot.
No they didn't. They were sued first, by Nokia and first by Motorola.
They only sued Samsung after offering a license and having it turned down.
And in your "fair play" analogy you should be explicit about which party do you think doesn't play fair. There seems to be a misconception that it's about Apple accusing Samsung of patent infringement but if you pay attention it's also about Samsung accusing Apple of patent infringement, so at best it's a pot-kettle kind of situation.
And if you pay further attention, Apple has just been found guilty infringing Samsung's patents in Korea so "Apple good, Samsung bad" seems to be a simplistic view of the situation.
We know one thing about this war: Apple fired the first shot.