Strange how iOS5 notification screen is such a big deal (for criticism of Apple) for Android fanboys...YET, Apple has not had one single lawsuit (that i know of) from Android/Google. Strange, isn't it??
Let me guess, you guys are going to say that Google is pure goodness, right?
So, it is perfectly OK for Google (and other Android folks) to acquire/copy, but Apple should burn in hell for doing the same?! I don't get the logic of some of you. Why don't you guys step back and look objectively instead of thru the Galaxy Nexus screen!
Lets not forget, ICS has some stuff in it that is a copycat of iOS too. The copycat game goes both ways. For those who think that ICS is free of copycat, i have a piece of land on Pluto for sale!
In terms of objectivity, one must remember that most of Android is Open Source- in the public domain- and so will not be used as a basis for lawsuits for monetary gain. It is not entirely a two-way street. To understand the differences one should read up on what Android actually is, instead of assuming that it is the same creature as a fully proprietary OS like iOS. Starts here:
Open Handset Alliance
And from the Android FAQ on that site:
If the Open Handset Alliance is giving it all away for free, how will the platform be differentiated?
Because the Apache license does not have a copyleft clause, industry players can add proprietary functionality to their products based on Android without needing to contribute anything back to the platform. As the entire platform is open, companies can remove functionality if they choose. Applications are not set in stone, and differentiation is always possible. For example, if you want to include Hotmail instead of Gmail, it will not be an issue.
Apple selectively uses thing put out there into the public domain (which is fine, that's what it is there for, to drive the industry forward) that keeps them safe, so my jest wasn't at Apple stealing things so much as Apple has taken to using Android as a market barometer to gauge what products they need to find/acquire/maybe develop to stay competitive.
The reason why Apple is so unnecessarily aggressively litigious is something called "pre-emption." Think about it from their standpoint, what would they have to lose? They are picking fights with a patent-weak (by nature/design, remember that Android doesn't have full copyleft protection because of the interplay with Apache's license and the issues with Sun/Oracle) system, which is already in competition with them (theoretically causing them damages). If they litigate and lose, the competition is still against them as before (no change), but if they litigate and win (even temporary injunctions) they get a (practically) free meal ticket for a while. By bringing suit, you can't have your products banned because that isn't this particular case- and while yes you might open yourself up to be counter-sued, your deep pockets are pretty big intimidators against this. Not to mention that those same groups you are suing can only counter-sue on their own proprietary aspects, not Android as a whole (probably the real reason why Manufacturer's custom skins will never completely go away), which many will notice Apple stays away from using.
You mean Google bought Motorola because they want to give something back to the world????? Hmm, OR is it to protect themselves with Moto's patents? OR is it to acquire some of Moto's innovation? Or is it to eliminate a source of competition to their products?
What is Google doing these days?? Copying Facebook, Yelp, etc.? Eliminating the competition with their own copycat?? It is like Starbucks all over again! Do no evil? Yeah, OK!
Moto and Google were never in competition, and in fact have been nothing but partners. And it seems that the acquisition was indeed because of patents, and it is sad that Google has had to resort to such measures to protect itself from bullying. (Remember, Android is not trying to shut down iOS- Google develops too many iOS apps and makes too much money off of iOS searches for that to be true- but Apple sure is trying to shut down Android, so yes it is mostly one-sided)
As to Facebook and yelp and such, Google is doing the same thing they have always done (with search, browsing, cloud connectivity, etc.) they are providing more dynamic and feature-rich options that are meant to out-perform and drive the market to respond but getting more innovative and competitive. The difference here is that Apple is NOT responding by being more innovative and competitive (like Facebook), they are simply suing and trying to snuff competition out.
Don't get me wrong, Google makes (a lot of) money doing this, but I would argue we have a better internet because of Google search, better functionality because of Gmail, Google Maps, Documents, Calendar etc., and not simply because those apps exist, but rather they have pushed Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft, etc. to improve their own products to compete.
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