The heated California lawsuit between Apple and Samsung has reached a dramatic turning point. To the surprise of many, the two technological big wigs have cut down on the number of patent claims against each other. All the same, there are no concrete grounds to come to any conclusions. This is chiefly because their differences have magnified and they are currently wedged in a heated lash out.
The latest news is not a peace treaty. It is simply a more efficient method of waging war. The introduction of airborne drones into modern combat zones is as much of a peace offfering.
Several days ago, Apple made the first move. It made a filing that allegedly reduced the infringement claims by half. This bold move was deemed by many as impressive; at least Florian Mueller, intellectual property expert at FOSS patents, believes so. Merely five hours into Apple’s dauntless move, Samsung followed suit. It willingly offered to bury 5 of its 12 asserted patents.
This quasi soap opera between the technological titans came at the wake of Judge Lucy Koh’s order that instructed both parties to cut down on the overwhelming number of claims. Judge Koh had issued a similar order in recent days-it however fell on deaf ears. Koh argues that the bombastic number of claims could push the trial date from July 30th straight into 2013. According to Koh, the unmanageable number of claims is impossible and frustrating to the Jury. “If you are going to trial in July, this is not going to be acceptable.” she lashed.
Although both sides have dropped a staggering number of claims, it is clearly evident that the rivalry has merely toned down on paper. In reality, the two giants are at the peak of their rivalry. The two parties are citing different allegations. Apple is convicted that Samsung is not cooperative. On the flip side, Samsung believes that Apple’s case is far too big to take place in the initially slated date.
For Apple this is not really about Samsung.The Patent War was Steve Jobs way of firing at Google. Jobs was reportedly furious when he saw the Android operating system. Because of the difficulty in targeting Google directly Apple has hit out at the major player in the Android smart phone market Samsung. It is Samsung’s success rather than any particular infringement that puts it in this position.
Apple seems to see the Patent War as less about commercial interests and more about ideology. Apple is seeking justice in an Old Testament sense.
The streamlining of the case will reduce the cost and the length of the trial. It benefits both companies. It is not an offer of an olive branch though it might signal grater rationality and observation of mutual benefit in the future.
