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Comment by beloch | Hacker News Reader

On the one hand, I'm pretty sick of this nonsense. On the other hand, it might be in everyone's best interest if HTC succeeds here. If millions of fanboys are denied their shiny new iPhones and Apple, which is rather well connected in Washington, finally winds up losing money due to the patent system, maybe we'll finally seem some progress towards reform.

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For me, it's been fascinating to see what huge companies that are flush with more cash than ever before [1] will do with that cash during a prolonged recession.

The most common argument for continuing to lower taxes on businesses is that it will stimulate the economy because the businesses will spend the money on their employees. It looks like what actually happens is that they spend the money waging legal wars against each-other.

[1]: http://www.businessinsider.com/corporate-profits-just-hit-an...

I think you'd need more and better stats than a few large mobile phone companies in a turf war to really draw that conclusion.

Indeed; I need to learn more about the Long Depression (1873-79 or longer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Depression and obviously right when POTS was being developed) but I know that this sort of problem was big in the Great Depression.

Legal wars tend to be expensive because they involve spending a lot of money on employees, though.

On lawyers and other non-productive employees though, not in a way that would grow the economy. That's a huge broken window fallacy.

Well, law firms and court employees, at least.

I think the most likely outcome of HTC "succeeding" would just be that Apple and HTC agree to "cross-license" between each other.

My guess is that Apple will enter cross-licensing deals with each of the major manufacturers, which is actually much worse because it would effectively block newcomers from entering the market and all you end up with is an oligarchy of incumbents.

> If millions of fanboys are denied their shiny new iPhones

Quite condescending.

I really like how you sickness on the subject leads to the most passive-aggressive and condescending statement in just one sentence. I'd love to see the patent system changed but I think it's about time we stop thinking Apple customers are fanboys (and that there are "millions" of them) or that everyone else's are not.

Regarding Washington, last time I check Apple was not even close to be the company that invest more money in lobbying. I don't know what is your base for "rather well connected" but if you have any evidence on this, it will be great to know.

So the patent system would more likely get reworked when a favored company loses money in the lawmakers' home so that they can put their hands on otherwise banned products? Interesting definition of 'HTC succeeding' here. I still hope you're right, though.

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