Patent Bully: Steve Jobs’ Unethical Use of Patents

Patent Bully: Steve Jobs’ Unethical Use of Patents: "Although the antitrust case will focus on the agreements not to hire each other’s employees (collusive agreements in restraint of trade — whether the “trade” is in physical products or the supply of labor — are an antitrust no-no punishable by steep fines and, in some cases, even criminal sanction), I think the patent “stick” used in this case is far more telling — and a far bigger deal — than the alleged do-not-poach-our-employees agreements.  (Note: the DOJ already extracted a settlement agreement from Apple, Adobe, Google, Pixar, Intuit and Intel preventing them from enacting a broad array of “no solicitation agreements” with rivals.) I put quotation marks around the word “proposed,” as the offer was extended in much the same manner that a mob boss proposes a protection deal.  “Accept my proposal or I cannot promise that something bad will not happen to you.”" 'via Blog this'