If you follow the tech news I’m sure you’ve noticed all the many patent lawsuits and threats of lawsuits recently. One of the most absurd ones I heard about recently on Linux Outlaws was about a German suit Apple filed against Samsung over the Galaxy Tab 10.1 then Samsung got around the lawsuit by changing the bevel color from black to gray. So what does Apple think they own? I sure hope it’s not any rectangular black touchscreen device.

Last month Apple sued Motorola Mobility through the US International Trade Commission, which ruled in Motorola’s favor. Then just weeks later Motorola sued Apple calming Apple was infringing six of their patents.
It’s not just iOS vs Android, Microsoft has gotten almost every Android device maker to make deals to pay them for every unit sold claiming to have patents that Android violates. What the patent(s) is that Microsoft keeps waving around or claiming to have isn’t known, but it is ridiculous that Microsoft makes more money off of Android than Windows Phone.

I understand the value and need to protect intellectual property, but laws that were written for the 19th and 20th century don’t necessarily work in today’s age of rapid technological advancements. Patents on interfaces and computer designs only serve to be anti-competitive. Competition is good and it promotes development and improvement in designs. All of these bull shit tech patents are not only bad for competition and they just promote tech companies to rely on their legal teams to make money rather than their developers. The way to control the market is to make a better product and market it well. Apple has demonstrated this with how successful the iPad has been, in spite of how expensive it is.

I’m not suggesting that every company should be required to release their source code or technical schematics to their competition. If you produce the first model of something then it will be the only option available while the competition tries to develop a competing product. During that time the first company just has to make sure that they make their customers happy and to have a newer and better one ready to stay a head of the competition. Create brand loyalty and image (like how Apple has) and not only is the competition good for those who don’t want or can’t afford your product, but the loyal fans will buy the next model, the model that probably never would have been developed if not for the need to keep ahead of the competition.

I’m sure there are standards that could be developed that would be good for both manufacturers/developers and consumers, but the system that exists today does not work.