Apple v. Samsung - Verdict Fallout

I watched the Apple versus Samsung trial with considerable interest. As a consumer of electronics products, I knew its outcome would impact the entire marketplace. Samsung's suspicious internal memos were what ultimately caused Apple to win the case. It was clear from reading them that Samsung flew a little too close to the flame in trying to mimic Apple designs. However, I still don't believe that it should be possible for a company to patent a geometric shape under the category of "trade dress".

$1 billion? Seriously? Are the little bounce animation, pinch-to-zoom functionality and modified rectangular shape really worth 50 bucks a phone?  Is Apple going to become a patent farm trolling for dollars? Are you willing to pay hundreds of dollars per device to underwrite all of the patent claims? These are important questions and it remains to be seen how they are going to be answered by the average consumer. The bottom line is that the consumer is still king. Patents don't mean anything unless people are willing to pay for them.

Patent Wars: Who Wins, Who Loses?

Apple's recent lawsuit against HTC is a disturbing trend in the world of technology. While I respect a company's right to protect its intellectual property portfolio, the recent trend of litigation for the purpose of annihilation is a zero-sum game. Patent portfolios have suddenly become profit centers. Microsoft now gets $5 for every HTC Android phone sold. A consortium of technology companies including Apple, Microsoft, RIM, Sony and Ericsson paid $4.5 billion to outbid Google for a tidy stack of Nortel patents. Apple is suing Samsung and Samsung is suing Apple for patent infringement. Where is all of this heading? I suspect it will lead to fewer choices and higher prices for technology products. And we will be the ones paying for it.