Patents, Innovation and the current Apple vs Samsung battle
The ongoing IP infringement battle between Apple and Samsung in the multiple courts across the world has generated a lot of discussion on Patents and their relevance to innovation. The most prevalent view being that Apple is using patent laws to curb competition and there by innovation. For E.g. see the ZDNET article: Apple’s worldwide war on Samsung and Android . The article states that it is a delusion to see any connection between ‘real’ Intellectual Property (IP) and Patent wars. The patent wars are seen as attempts to exhort cash from people who create real products. The result, the article concludes, is that innovation in any technology will come to an end. There is an apparent irony here that the patent laws were intended to help innovation by protecting those who innovated against those who just copy. It comes from not differentiating innovation from consumer choice. Consumer choice is also created by companies who create look alikes at a lower cost. Consumer choice is d