back to article Google's disco-dancing uncle Schmidt trashes Apple's patent war

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt launched a thinly veiled attack on Apple on Thursday but declared the iPhone maker a “very good partner” - and then proceeded to dance like an uncle at a particularly awful wedding. The search giant's big cheese, who was in Seoul for the launch of the Nexus 7 tablet in South Korea, made …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    Herr Schmidt

    "patent wars prevent choice, prevent innovation and I think that is very bad"

    Interesting words coming from someone who bullies manufacturers to prevent choice:

    'Google strangled Acer phone using Alibaba Android rival at birth'

    Pick your poison.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Herr Schmidt

      I don't see how patents prevent innovation, if anything they stop laziness and copying by forcing rivals to produce different ways of achieving similar results. Being able to carbon copy something is not innovation.

      The real problem is not patents, but who is applying for the patents. They should really be limited to small and medium size companies since these are the people who are trying to get a new product off the ground and the price for failure can be bankruptcy.

      1. Captain Hogwash
        Headmaster

        Re: Herr Schmidt

        He didn't say patents prevent innovation. He said patent wars prevent innovation.

      2. fandom

        Re: Herr Schmidt

        "I don't see how patents prevent innovation"

        The canonical example are copier machines, as long as Xerox had the patent changing a toner required a visit from Xerox people, as soon as the patent was over, other companies released machines in which the user could do it.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Herr Schmidt

        "Being able to carbon copy something is not innovation.".....sorry Apple!

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Herr Schmidt

        "I don't see how patents prevent innovation"

        if the patent system in the USA wasn’t abused so much then it wouldn’t. but when patents are granted on very broad descriptions, like "using two or more fingers to manipulate the content of a display on a mobile phone" you in effect block anyone from making a UI that people can use two fingers to navigate. it makes no difference how it is achieved,

        People are putting patents on ideas, stuff that is technically not possible yet, so that when some bright spark comes up with a working product, then the patent holder pops up and demands his pound of flesh, just because he thought of it first.....

        it is the way of the USPO to grant patents these days without doing any research. Its not in their interest to deny a patent application. they take the stance that its better that it is fought out in the courts.

    2. Peter 48
      Stop

      Re: Herr Schmidt

      have you actually read what this issue was about? have a look at: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/technology/google-alibaba-acer-android-aliyun-china-292615.html

      This isn't about Google being selfish and not wanting Acer to run a rival system, it is about ensuring the integrity of the Android ecosystem wasn't compromised by a platform that is only partially compatible and is known to pirate android apps. Unlike Amazon (who have chosen to branch out of android and yet work with Google to ensure compatibility) Acer had signed up to the OHA (http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/index.html) whos membership requires them to work on android platforms that are compatible. Using ailyun would put them in breach of that agreement. Google gave them a choice to step out of the OHA or ditch ailyun and Acer made the choice. Perfectly fair and reasonable.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Peter 48

        So when Apple do it it's bad and when Google do it is good. Sheesh, fandroids...

    3. eulampios

      @9 kyklos

      waging/starting a war != bullying

      Compare: Suing for billions with bogus accusations vs. saying "You're a bad boy and not my buddy anymore"

  2. Mondo the Magnificent
    Devil

    So...

    ..bentheal the veil of litigation some common sense prevails..

    Agreed there are so many patent overlaps that it opens the floodgates of bullshit, but who knows, perhaps in the long term the manufacturers will be able to innovate, the consumer will have more choice and the fatcat law firms may have to invest in smaller wallets..

    I await that day with baited breath...

    1. Ted Treen
      Headmaster

      Re: So...

      "baited breath"?

      Been eating worms?

      In suspense, I await with bated breath for confirmation or denial.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: So...

        remember, a lot of people here dont speak English as a first language.........they speak American, and we know they cant spell

        1. Ty Cobb
          Facepalm

          @AC 13:27GMT Re: So...

          Color me surprised that any forum topic here could turn into an attack against all Americans.

          1. This post has been deleted by its author

          2. I think so I am?
            Thumb Up

            Re: @AC 13:27GMT So...

            Not all Americans - Just the ones that think American is an actual real language.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: So...

      I was going to down vote you for typing baited instead of bated, but decided to forgive you because I quite like the word "bentheal" that you coined.

  3. sabroni Silver badge

    RE: Korean pop one-hit wonder PSY

    Don't show your ignorance, that tune is from his sixth album, the first was released in 2001...

  4. Mike Bell

    Here's Eric in a previous job...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNPOuh4GwU

  5. yossarianuk
    Linux

    Opensource dancing ...

    Obviously no one compares to the great Lord Stallman.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pube5Aynsls

    Inside every IT Geek there is a dancer just waiting to 'come out'

    In this one he really 'busts' some moves

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t96m2ynKw0

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Opensource dancing ...

      "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pube5Aynsls"

      That's the first URL I've seen with a pube in it, and a numbered one at that.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    “are literally talking all the time about everything”

    “literally talking all the time about everything”

    So, there are people in Apple talking with people in Google about horses, chicken nuggets, skin conditions, bottle openers, elbow licking, biros, vinegar, pants, socks, Baby Bio, ,BIOS, people called Mungo, the sky, the floor, clouds, the cloud, red shirts with purple trousers, astronomy, Mars, Velcro, Tuesdays, wing mirrors, carrier bags, Wales, whales, water, Postman Pat, me and some more stuff?

    1. Ted Treen
      Pint

      Re: “are literally talking all the time about everything”

      Now you're just being ridiculous.

      Why in God's name would they be talking about Tuesdays?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Ted Treen Re: “are literally talking all the time about everything”

        No reason at all - Friday would be a much better day to talk about.

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Lazy Apple !

    What a bunch of rubbish about preventing lazyness.

    Apple seemingly just bought and stopped supplies of laptop fingerprint scanners.

    Pick your effing nose with that Apple!

  8. TheOtherHobbes

    Schmidt

    is just going back to YouTube's roots.

    Without YouTube the world would never have seen the thousands - millions? - of epic punter-pleasing camcorder dance routines that wreath the cloudy summit of this decade's video culture like a halo of homemade awesome.

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