Apple sues Samsung Electronic's latest Android model

[myp]

And the patent wars continue with the behemoth, Apple, continuing to lead the pack. Really unfortunate. Worse yet is that Congress is still blind to it and has no political will to do anything.

Apple Inc raised the stake in an intensifying global patent battle with Samsung Electronics by targeting the latest model using Google's fast growing Android software, a move which may affect other Android phone makers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/us-apple-samsung-idUSTRE81B0Z120120213

 

[Comet]

Worse yet is that Congress is still blind to it and has no political will to do anything.

That is because Congress has not figured out a way to make money off of it.

 

[myp]

That is because Congress has not figured out a way to make money off of it.

True, they also make/made a lot off the current system.

 

[Calvin]

And the patent wars continue with the behemoth, Apple, continuing to lead the pack. Really unfortunate. Worse yet is that Congress is still blind to it and has no political will to do anything.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/us-apple-samsung-idUSTRE81B0Z120120213

At least in a case like this, you have two huge corporate powers battling each other in Court. When it is big business vs the individual little guy, that is far more unpalatable in my opinion.

In any event, I recently heard shocking news that Apple basically tortures its employees who make their iPhones in China. Its so bad they even put nets outside the windows to stop people from committing suicide.

With this in mind I would never buy an Apple product, and am proud to say the only Apple product I have ever owned was a 1GB iPod when they were released in about 2005.

Big corporations need to be taught that it is wrong to not employ North Americans by manufacturing their products in China, and even more wrong to create sweat shops. Utterly immoral stuff.

 

[myp]

At least in a case like this, you have two huge corporate powers battling each other in Court. When it is big business vs the individual little guy, that is far more unpalatable in my opinion.

Even the "corporate powers" affect the little guy though. Abuse of the patent system costs society as a whole. Not only that, but even corporations can be victims with certain companies altogether not expanding in other markets because of this or being forced to spend money to keep up with their patent stockpile (i.e. Google when it bought Motorola Mobility).

In any event, I recently heard shocking news that Apple basically tortures its employees who make their iPhones in China. Its so bad they even put nets outside the windows to stop people from committing suicide.

That is the whole Foxconn thing. I suggest checking this out if you are interested in that. Make sure you watch to the end though because while the emotional response as a Westerner might draw you one way the statistics might lead you another. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/play_full.php?play=454&podcast=1

Big corporations need to be taught that it is wrong to not employee North Americans by manufacturing their products in China, and even more wrong to create sweat shops. Utterly immoral stuff.

That is not necessarily "wrong". Especially if the labor is voluntary- some of these people are actually bettering their lives through this compared to what their parents did, etc. Ironically you and I and our fellow Westerners drive the corporations to look for this labor because we demand cheap goods.

 

[Fascist Canuck]

At least in a case like this, you have two huge corporate powers battling each other in Court. When it is big business vs the individual little guy, that is far more unpalatable in my opinion.

In any event, I recently heard shocking news that Apple basically tortures its employees who make their iPhones in China. Its so bad they even put nets outside the windows to stop people from committing suicide.

With this in mind I would never buy an Apple product, and am proud to say the only Apple product I have ever owned was a 1GB iPod when they were released in about 2005.

Big corporations need to be taught that it is wrong to not employ North Americans by manufacturing their products in China, and even more wrong to create sweat shops. Utterly immoral stuff.

They pretty much torture their own employees in the USA. Look it up. American corporations need to be crushed under the jackboot of fascism.

 

[DodgeFB]

They pretty much torture their own employees in the USA. Look it up. American corporations need to be crushed under the jackboot of fascism.

That jackboot of fascism thing is not working real well for ya is it?

 

[Calvin]

That is not necessarily "wrong". Especially if the labor is voluntary- some of these people are actually bettering their lives through this compared to what their parents did, etc. Ironically you and I and our fellow Westerners drive the corporations to look for this labor because we demand cheap goods.

Cheap yes. But not at the expense of oppressing the poor. There is no tag on two cell phones, one for $100 and the other for $110 where the $100 phone says "People were injured and beaten during the creation of this phone" and the $110 phone saying "No employees were beaten during the creation of this phone".

If there was a stark choice, I think people may indeed choose the more expensive item.

But I think your point is that labour abuses in 3rd world countries are necessary to ensure we can buy cheap goods at Wal-Mart. Is that correct?

 

[myp]

Cheap yes. But not at the expense of oppressing the poor. There is no tag on two cell phones, one for $100 and the other for $110 where the $100 phone says "People were injured and beaten during the creation of this phone" and the $110 phone saying "No employees were beaten during the creation of this phone".

The problem is that the end consumer does not realize (or possibly care) what went into making it. You need to raise social awareness to combat it and even then I am not sure people would care.

But I would think twice before just taking a side here and yelling "oppression". Some of the workers for companies who get low pay by Western standards (keywords Western standards) may well be bettering their own situations. What you see as unacceptable might be opportunity to them and you don't just want to take that away either. There have been cases where certain "sweat shops" have been shut down in 3rd world countries (I think I saw a study from Bangladesh) in which the workers ended up having nothing to do an turned to sex work to feed their families. Is that really much better?

But I think your point is that labour abuses in 3rd world countries are necessary to ensure we can buy cheap goods at Wal-Mart. Is that correct?

Not necessary, but demanded. We as a population demand cheap goods and even if one cheap substitute exists, it puts pressure on all the rest to also supply cheaper counterparts.