Apple's Patent War Against Android May Lead to Settlements Under Tim Cook's Influence
Bloomberg Businessweek publishes a cover story on the ongoing patent war between Apple and Android, outlining the history of the disputes between Apple and Android manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung and Motorola.
The report notes that Apple has actually experienced only limited success in its legal efforts, suggesting that Steve Jobs' vow to wage "thermonuclear war" against Android may be backfiring somewhat with Apple's soaring legal costs and retaliatory actions from its targets subjecting the company to risk while the benefits remain meager.
Photograph by Jochen Seigle/PolarisCorroborating
claims from earlier this month regarding Apple's willingness to settle with the Android device manufacturers it has filed suit against,
Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Apple and Samsung have "communicated lately" about settlement possibilities. The report suggests that settlement has become a more feasible option now that Apple is led by Tim Cook.
People familiar with the situation, however, note that top-level executives at both Apple and Samsung have communicated lately about potential settlement options. Apple CEO Tim Cook does not seem to share his predecessor’s passion about laying all foes to waste. Cook appears to view litigation as a necessary evil, not a vehicle of cosmic revenge.
Stanford University law professor Mark Lemley notes that the patent war has cost Apple and its opponents over $400 million over the past few years, and it is unclear just what benefits they have received for that massive sum of money. Lemley predicts that there will eventually be a major cross-licensing deal to bring the majority of the legal disputes to an end, but in the meantime the war continues to escalate as all sides continue to file new suits.
Popular Stories
Apple is planning to debut completely redesigned Mac mini models with the M4 and M4 Pro chips later this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The new Mac mini will be the first major design change to the machine since 2010, making it Apple's smallest ever desktop computer. The new Mac mini will apparently approach the size of an Apple TV, but it may be slightly taller than the current...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.6.1, a minor update to the macOS Sonoma operating system that Apple launched last year. macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 comes a week after the release of macOS Sonoma 14.6, an update that added security fixes. The macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 update can be downloaded for free on eligible Macs by opening up System Settings and going to the Software Update section. Apple has...
Apple suppliers have ramped up mass production of iPhone 16 OLED panels ahead of the smartphone's launch in September, reports ETNews. Both Samsung Display and LG Display began initial production of iPhone 16 OLED panels in June, and significantly ramped up production last month, according to the report. Apple's iPhone 16 shipment forecast for this year is around 90 million units, while...
Apple today provided the third betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to public beta testers, bringing the new software to the general public. The third public beta comes a week after Apple released the second public beta. Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates by opening up the Settings app, going to General, tapping into ...
Apple intends to update its entire Mac lineup to the M4 processor over the next 12 months, which will make it the first time that Apple has used the same chip generation across all of its Macs. Apple will update its MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac lines with its latest M4 chip as early as this year, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, with the Mac mini also set to feature its first...
Apple today released iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1, minor updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating system updates that came out last year. Apple is making iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 available a week after the launch of iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6. iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update....
