I read about this yesterday, thinking why? Not a very Apple thing to do, last time was in the 90's with MSFT. Maybe Apple is looking for a new fabricator for its devices? Public relations so they don't look like hard asses??
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Android Authority's spin on it was maybe this is a way to down Samsung or maybe because HTC has been heavy invested with Microsoft.
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Could be that as well.
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Apple is a company that cares very deeply about its PR and reputation, and the constant lawsuits are really reflecting very poorly on them and damaging their reputation....
I don't know if you've seen it, but there is a really funny ad for the Conan O'Brien show where Conan and Andy are standing around and Conan says 'I'm and Mac'...and Andy says 'And I'm a PC'.....then a guy in a suit and tie walks in and hands Conan a piece of paper and says 'I'm an attorney for Apple and you're being sued for copyright infringement'.
When it gets to the point where comedians on late night TV are making fun of Apple for filing ridiculous lawsuits....you know their reputation is starting to suffer.
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Exactly T Bone, and since HTC is slowly becoming a loser company, its almost a win win for both.
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I think Apple got tired of fighting on multiple fronts and decided to aim directly at Samsung.
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Actually, the last time Apple licensed its design patents was... to Microsoft just a year ago.
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That's because Microsoft is a company as big and powerful as Apple itself, and Apple doesn't like to pick on equals, it likes to pick on smaller companies....which is why they won't go directly after Google....
It's also because Microsoft just happens to be the creator of the most popular software on the Mac platform, namely Office....and if Microsoft should happen to pull support for the Mac, it would hurt Apple more than it would Microsoft....
And it is also because Apple has tried going after Microsoft several times in the past....and they lost every single time...
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What about Samsung?
Microsoft paid Apple to license Apple's design patents because Microsoft isn't dumb- they've wisened up that design means a lot to the quality of their product.
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What about Samsung? Have you seen the terms Apple gave to Samsung in their license "offer"? If it was even half of what I've seen online, no sane person would have accepted it. That particular deal was designed to fail.
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ZpikeNov 14, 2012, 3:26 PM
I love how when you talk about Apple products you constantly use the word "design" as though it is identical in meaning to "physical appearance". Albeit, physical form is certainly an aspect of design. However, when talking about technology there are many things that are "designed" that you never see. The design (engineering) of the actual electronic components in some simpler devices is much more sophisticated than the design of the physical form of the iPhone. People who make clothing, magazine covers, and shells (cases, enclosures, whatever) for electronics aren't the only "designers" in the world. In fact, I am not aware of a single product on shelves anywhere that wasn't "designed" by someone. When you say things like that it just soun...
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