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Bingo!
Verily, thou hast said it.

The principal means by which the state is effective is through coercion?interference with your property, or the threat of such interference. It has no other means of "enforcement". The entire concept of the state is antithetical to voluntary interaction between normal people of good cheer, which interaction is based on the concept of mutual benefit. In fact, the state cannot possibly serve as government. How is it possible to protect property by interfering with it?

Seen from that perspective, the actions of both Microsoft and Apple look like a case of severe anal-cranial inversion. It's the moral equivalent of appealing to the biggest, baddest gangster for protection against the hordes of other petty thugs and thieves.

Microsoft has commandeered the patent system as part of their strategy to dominate the market. Maybe they have learned some valuable lessons about how to do that without running afoul of the anti-trust laws, but all that does is make them legal. It doesn't make them right.

I understand that Apple has to play to stay in the game. But as they've learned in the past (or should have), going head to head with Microsoft in the legal arena on the subject of intellectual property comes down to a battle of legal budgets. The patent system is a racket, legitimized by the patina of pseudo-respectability it derives from its coercive authority. I don't envy Apple; they're dealing with gangsters. Principle has nothing to do with it.
Posted by: native alien   Posted on: 08/12/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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I don't think either should pass....  el1jones | 08/12/05
What is innovative about it?  voska | 08/12/05
In other words...  BitTwiddler | 08/12/05
That may be true  voska | 08/12/05
It's one of those "look and feel" deals  tic swayback | 08/12/05
Just because the Ipod was ...  ShadeTree | 08/15/05
Does that matter?  tic swayback | 08/15/05
Actual rules in question  tic swayback | 08/15/05
There is a file date and an approval date.  osreinstall | 08/15/05
Yes you can.  ShadeTree | 08/16/05
Should be interesting to see....  tic swayback | 08/16/05
This is so screwed up...  BitTwiddler | 08/12/05
Your assuming that Microsoft doesn't have ...  ShadeTree | 08/15/05
Doesn't matter  voska | 08/15/05
This isn't Canada and yes you can ...  ShadeTree | 08/16/05
MS vs Apple  garyr_z | 08/12/05
It's hard to think of a better example...  native alien | 08/12/05
So how do YOU define it?  slingzenarrowzuvowtrayjissforchin | 08/12/05
Simple...  native alien | 08/12/05
WUH!  slingzenarrowzuvowtrayjissforchin | 08/12/05
Bingo!  native alien | 08/12/05
Excuse me?  rapson | 08/12/05
Just a matter of time  voska | 08/15/05
voska: M.A.D.  rapson | 08/15/05
Not wrong  voska | 08/15/05
Microsuck "Innovates" Again!  itanalyst | 08/12/05
Crapple Stole from Microsoft  ab@... | 08/12/05
As usual, he hasn't the first clue...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/12/05
See post below for some education  Jeff Spicoli | 08/12/05
No, you are wrong  tic swayback | 08/12/05
Thank You Tic  itanalyst | 08/12/05
That's what makes this whole thing so amazing...  BitTwiddler | 08/15/05
Yeah, that Microsoft iPod came out WAY before Apple's did...  BitTwiddler | 08/15/05
********!!!  degger007 | 08/17/05
Does it matter who wins? It's still a patent.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/12/05
What matters  tic swayback | 08/12/05
It sure does matter, No_Ax - you don't want to pay that price  zdnetPatrick | 08/14/05
Pay it to MS, pay it to Apple. It's all the same.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/15/05
I'm confused No Ax  tic swayback | 08/15/05
6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other...  Spoon Jabber | 08/15/05
And that's a bad thing?  tic swayback | 08/15/05
Perfect example  Yagotta B. Kidding | 08/15/05
hmmmmm  gary.douglas@... | 08/15/05
First to file  Yagotta B. Kidding | 08/15/05
I believe the rules give them 1 year to patent  tic swayback | 08/15/05
The fee increases  voska | 08/15/05
Applesauce late to the pot  Boot_Agnostic | 08/12/05
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. More proof the system is broken...  HypnoToad | 08/12/05
Dont worry Google will beat them  jimk_z | 08/12/05
Not sure about that...  ab@... | 08/13/05
Remember Apple's GUI and Windows Lawsuit?  zdnetPatrick | 08/14/05
Worse yet...  BitTwiddler | 08/15/05
Read the history of the GUI  voska | 08/15/05
In total agreement with that timeline, Voska  zdnetPatrick | 08/15/05
Theft and legal trickery - is this really a business strategy?  YuridaMan | 08/14/05
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha  Reverend MacFellow | 08/15/05
Install OSX on any PeeCee!  Reverend MacFellow | 08/15/05
Why bother?  voska | 08/15/05
Indeed  tic swayback | 08/15/05
Stupid and careless  dzash2000 | 08/15/05
Yeah, that was a dumb move  tic swayback | 08/15/05
Atleast iPod does serve as Prior Art  nucrash | 08/15/05
5 months earlier, 5 months, hmmmmmm  Reverend MacFellow | 08/15/05
Does nobody pay attention to facts  openMind | 08/15/05
No extra money needed  tic swayback | 08/15/05
No quibbles there  openMind | 08/15/05
Why the iPod is a problem for MicroSoft  zdnetPatrick | 08/15/05
Microsoft and the American Way  Ziek | 08/17/05
Tread lightly Apple....  benf_z | 08/17/05
Thiefs...  degger007 | 08/17/05
Inept versus evil  leodavinci | 09/13/05
Patents  merlion | 12/13/05

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