Hacker News Reader

Comment by bo1024 | Hacker News Reader

I'm certainly disappointed in Apple's use of the patent system here, but we need to fix the patent system as a whole. Apple wouldn't have acted this way unless our patent system created the opportunity and the incentive. And if it wasn't Apple, it would have been someone else sooner or later.

So you can be mad at Apple if you want, but what's really messed up is a patent system that makes this behavior profitable.

View on HN

I don't follow this logic. "I'm certainly disappointed in the pervert's use of the open curtains here, but we need to fix open curtains as a whole." Apple are still responsible for the ethics of their actions, regardless of the legality of those actions.

Our legal system has no room for ethics. If the rules of the game make it profitable to be evil, companies will probably be evil. They might not be, but it'll be an uphill battle. If we redesign the rules so that being evil is not profitable, that will make it a whole lot easier on everyone.

Of course, actually doing so won't be easy, because the status quo benefits most influential players...

> Our legal system has no room for ethics.

But your brain does.

I don't think he's saying it's ok. He's saying that in spite of Apple being unethical the present condition is an inevitability. We can try to shame Apple into doing the right thing but it won't fix the real problem.

I'm absolutely mad at both. Apple wouldn't be using the patent system as a cudgel if it couldn't be used in that way.

Patent reform should be the top priority in the tech industry, but they're all too busy using it to batter each other to death. Apple's just the latest and highest-profile aggressor.

What I'd love to see, in place of this fiasco, is a tech summit, led by companies like Google, Samsung, and Apple, to thrash out a proposal for reform. Put all those high-profile, high-paid lawyers to good use.

Agreed. I think the answer is simple and everyone knows it -- NO SOFTWARE PATENTS -- but getting everyone to agree to it will be tough.

The patent system is not like the trademark system. Apple chose to act this way, they were in no way coerced by the system.

The patent system is nevertheless still broken of course. Very incredibly broken. However that does not, to any extent, reduce the new lack of respect I have for Apple.

Apple created something new. Samsung had it blocked from South Korea for two years so that they could clone it. Samsung freeloaded on Apple's innovation -- Apple barely had first mover advantage.

I'm not a huge fan of patents either but what can we do when countries like South Korea break every free trade agreement they make? Our politicians are only looking at the short-term election horizon and don't bother to call South Korea out on their BS.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com