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Why Nokia Sued Apple First (or Why Apple is Possibly the 'Bad Guy')

Nokia logo with Apple



Summary: Another angle on the Apple vs Nokia case

WE all know that Apple sued Linux/Android without any prior provocation from the side of Linux/Android. It makes Apple a patent aggressor, but some people cite Nokia as an example of Apple being the victim of a Linux-supporting company [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. In our third IRC channel (#boycottnovell-social) we have just discussed the point which came to us via Identi.ca [1, 2] (language warning, as it's IRC and microblogging).



To make a long story short, Oiaohm insisted that it was Apple's fault as it started to provoke Linux-based products (such as Palm's WebOS) using patents. He explained that Nokia's action was defensive in a proactive sense. Partial log is below.






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IRC: #boycottnovell-social @ FreeNode: June 4th, 2010

schestowitz"although nokia has been fairly good to free software, when they pull bullshit like that they deserve to be called out [..] hey where was all the stories about nokia when they brought all the litigation with apple for bullshit patents?" @eeefak I wrote about that a lot and denounced Nokia since 2008 http://www.google.com/search?q=site:techrights.org+apple+nokia&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B5GGGL_enGB315GB316&ie=UTF-8&hl=Jun 04 09:51
phIRCe-localTitle: site:techrights.org apple nokia - Google Search .::. Size~: 35.96 KBJun 04 09:51
oiaohmSome peopleJun 04 10:24
oiaohmApple started itJun 04 10:24
oiaohmNever mess with nokiaJun 04 10:24
oiaohmNokia is truly one of the most friendly companies out there.  If nokia used all the patents they had they could have 100 percent of the market.Jun 04 10:25
schestowitzApple started it?Jun 04 10:26
schestowitzI think Nokia didJun 04 10:26
oiaohmApple started it.Jun 04 10:34
oiaohmTrying to apply font patents on NokiaJun 04 10:34
oiaohmSometimes you should leave well enough alone.Jun 04 10:34
schestowitzI see..Jun 04 10:35
oiaohmIe apple poked nokia with small stick.Jun 04 10:36
oiaohmNokia pulled out huge cub and procedded to beat them into the ground.Jun 04 10:36
oiaohmNokia is fine as long as you are not dumb enough to poke them.Jun 04 10:37
schestowitzAny link on that?Jun 04 10:37
schestowitzI thought Nokia had struck firstJun 04 10:37
oiaohmIe apple saber rattled.Jun 04 10:38
oiaohmI did have the link.Jun 04 10:38
oiaohmIt was over there iphone they made a statement and nokia kinda exploded.Jun 04 10:38
oiaohmBasically nokia believe in pemetive strick if they get wind of you planing to hit them.Jun 04 10:40
schestowitzShow it to me, plsJun 04 10:40
schestowitzit's /very/ importantJun 04 10:40
schestowitzI accused Nokia is being the first to strikeJun 04 10:40
schestowitzI'd love to show Apple started itJun 04 10:41
oiaohmI know what the tech was about trying to get google to play ball.Jun 04 10:43
schestowitzLet me know if you find thisJun 04 10:47
schestowitzYou're usually right about this stuffJun 04 10:47
schestowitzBut I ought to at least show evidence from Apple/NokiaJun 04 10:47
oiaohmIts two things.Jun 04 10:50
oiaohmMulti-touch and fonts.  schestowitzJun 04 10:50
oiaohmApple was saber rattling about multi-touch attacked quite a few companies.  Nokia needs multi-touch to stay competitive.Jun 04 10:51
oiaohmNokia has a lot of core patents.   Basically hit Apple hard get a good patent deal.Jun 04 10:51
schestowitzBut did Apple threaten Nokia?Jun 04 10:52
MinceRfor yourself, that isJun 04 10:52
MinceRcrApple needs to be hit harder so they won't oppress the industry any moreJun 04 10:52
oiaohmNokia don't have to threat them before they will hit you.Jun 04 10:54
oiaohmIf you place your self as a tech road block.Jun 04 10:54
oiaohmThey will steam roll you.Jun 04 10:54
oiaohmBasically apple threating other companies over multi-touch basically put themselves in nokia target to be neturalised before they can attack nokia.Jun 04 10:55
oiaohmBe a nice company and nokia is nice to you.Jun 04 10:55
oiaohmbe a asshole company hope nokia has nothing on you.Jun 04 10:55
MinceRand what has Xiph done against Nokia, then?Jun 04 10:57
oiaohmhttp://industry.bnet.com/technology/10004789/apple-multi-touch-patent-on-shaky-ground/  And this is the bit that tops it all.Jun 04 10:57
phIRCe-localTitle: Apple Multi-Touch Patent on Shaky Ground | BNET Technology Blog | BNET .::. Size~: 57.85 KBJun 04 10:57
oiaohmApples patent might be completely worthless.Jun 04 10:57
MinceRdon't forget Nokia's attack on HTML5.Jun 04 10:58
oiaohmDefine attack.Jun 04 10:59
oiaohmLot of stuff against Xiph nokia showed was stuff they had licenced from other companies not there own stuff.Jun 04 10:59
oiaohmAlso hardware decoders are more power effective ie longer battery live.Jun 04 11:00
schestowitzhttp://blog.wolfire.com/2010/06/Aquaria-goes-open-sourceJun 04 11:00
phIRCe-localTitle: Aquaria goes open source! - Wolfire Games Blog .::. Size~: 20.09 KBJun 04 11:00
MinceRNokia along with crApple made sure that HTML5 has no default recommendation for codecsJun 04 11:00
MinceRwhen it could have been Theora/Vorbis.Jun 04 11:00
MinceRthat was an asshole moveJun 04 11:01
MinceRit was said that Nokia did it so they could force DRM-encrusted shit the throats of users.Jun 04 11:01
oiaohmYep Nokia was on of the first to support VP8Jun 04 11:01
MinceRs/hit/hit down/Jun 04 11:01
MinceRthere was no VP8 back then.Jun 04 11:01
schestowitzMaybe it would not have been necessaryJun 04 11:02
oiaohmNokia was also the first to call google to release vp8Jun 04 11:02
schestowitzYouTUbe could use OggJun 04 11:02
schestowitzGoogle bought a company insteadJun 04 11:02
oiaohmTo solve issue MinceRJun 04 11:02
MinceRit was a nonissueJun 04 11:02
schestowitzNokia support Microsoft's Silver LieJun 04 11:03
schestowitzSince early 2008Jun 04 11:03
oiaohmThere are a few issue with TheoraJun 04 11:03
MinceRalso, don't forget Nokia's whining about how the FLOSS community should just do what Nokia wants and help them put DRM everywhere.Jun 04 11:03
schestowitzAri's rantJun 04 11:03
MinceRwhat issues? slightly less efficient than the holy H.264?Jun 04 11:03
oiaohmVorbis you can build hardware decoders for quite well.Jun 04 11:03
oiaohmH264 the same.Jun 04 11:03
schestowitzLinux users "need some education"Jun 04 11:03
MinceRor perhaps VC-1? (lol)Jun 04 11:03
oiaohmTheora has issues when you try to turn it into power effective circuit.Jun 04 11:04
oiaohmVC-1 is worse than Theora in a circuit.Jun 04 11:04
MinceRso what do you recommend? i'd recommend using a CPU.Jun 04 11:04
oiaohmDecated cirucit does not take as much power and lets the cpu run slow and pull less power.Jun 04 11:05
oiaohmRemember lot of Nokia devices are about days of battery life.Jun 04 11:05
[...]
oiaohmhttp://mashable.com/2009/01/26/apple-multi-touch-patent/  << the nokia attack on apple would have started from here.  schestowitzJun 04 11:15
phIRCe-localTitle: Apple Gets Their Multi-Touch Patent; Is Palm Screwed? .::. Size~: 89.79 KBJun 04 11:15
oiaohmA quite open patent attack against Palm over multitouch that nokia will need to implement to complete against iphone.Jun 04 11:16
oiaohmDon't go rattling sabbers sometimes you wake up a monster who is in on mood in talking.Jun 04 11:17
oiaohmhttp://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/22/tim-cook-apple-will-aggressively-protect-iphone-intellectual-property/  And these rumors would have made Nokia think offence is better than waiting around.Jun 04 11:20
phIRCe-localTitle: Tim Cook: Apple Will Aggressively Protect iPhone Intellectual Property - Mac Rumors .::. Size~: 18.34 KBJun 04 11:20
oiaohmYep don't rumor that you are going to Aggressively protect tech then be infringing on stuff.Jun 04 11:21
oiaohmI guess schestowitz is afkJun 04 11:21
[...]
oiaohmCan you see the start point now.  schestowitzJun 04 11:31
oiaohmIe apple says they going to protect the tech in the iphone.Jun 04 11:31
oiaohmNokia gets upset.Jun 04 11:31
schestowitzYes, I read thatJun 04 11:40
schestowitzI was gonna do a post about itJun 04 11:40

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