In a move that some are calling "incredibly stupid," Apple is suing Samsung, claiming the Galaxy Touch line of Android tablets and phones copy the "look and feel" of the iPad and iPhone. Given that Samsung also supplies Apple with essential parts for its gadgets, many are questioning the wisdom behind the lawsuit. Bad move?
This is so dumb: "Big Fruit suing Samsung could be tantamount to suicide," says Charlie Demerjian at SemiAccurate. Not only is the lawsuit without much merit — most cell phones are pretty similar these days — but it's also bad business. "Every single iDevice out there now is made using Samsung" components. Apple could be in for some major manufacturing headaches if Samsung decides to stop that supply chain.
"Apple suing Samsung is incredibly stupid"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And it's very hypocritical: Not only is the lawsuit a "bad idea" because of Apple and Samsung's manufacturing relationship, it's also just plain "counterproductive" and "hypocritical," says John Hudson at The Atlantic Wire. Traditionally, Apple has focused on "innovation, not litigation." That's wise because the chances of winning a suit like this are slim. Plus, Steve Jobs has said in the past that Apple has "always been shameless about stealing great ideas." For both strategic and ethical reasons, Apple should drop this suit.
"Apple's lawsuit against Samsung is a bad idea"
Nah, Apple has a grand plan: Even a "doomed lawsuit" like this one will require "a lot of time, energy and money to fight off," says Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry at Business Insider. Samsung is likely to settle, and agree to pay Apple some sort of licensing fee, which will in turn force them to raise prices on their products that compete with Apple's. Such a settlement would also give Apple leverage in demanding that other competitors pony up.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.