The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Luxury brands continue hiking prices in Korea

  • 3

    China flags consequences of Yoon's stronger coupling with US, Japan

  • 5

    BTS producer encourages anticipation for future messages from group

  • 7

    From hip-hop idols to global superstars, BTS shatters records over decade

  • 9

    Pyongyang as lived experience: existentialism and identity in North Korea

  • 11

    US, China trade blame as hopes for military dialogue fade

  • 13

    Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan to meet in Singapore amid NK threats

  • 15

    Reasons to talk about North Korea

  • 17

    S. Korea, US agree on joint probe into NK 'space rocket' debris once salvaged: Seoul official

  • 19

    US, Japan, S. Korea aim to share NK missile warning data

  • 2

    India train crash kills over 280, injures 900 in one of nation's worst rail disasters

  • 4

    INTERVIEW'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series

  • 6

    Napoli's Kim Min-jae named Serie A's best defender, makes Team of the Season

  • 8

    Wall Street leaps, nearly escapes its bear market after strong jobs report

  • 10

    'The Roundup: No Way Out' tops 3 mil. admissions

  • 12

    UN official calls out Security Council for inaction on N. Korea

  • 14

    House lawmakers urge US to rally allies over China's Micron ban

  • 16

    PHOTOSTrain collision in India

  • 18

    Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to launch counteroffensive

  • 20

    EU's top diplomat discusses Ukraine's ammunition needs with S. Korea

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Mon, June 5, 2023 | 05:28
Reporter's Notebook
Did Steve Jobs dupe us all?
Posted : 2012-08-26 18:12
Updated : 2012-08-26 18:12
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Set aside all the hanky panky about the U.S. jury’s $1.05 bil. verdict in favor of Apple over Samsung Electronics in their patent dispute.

Late Apple founder Steve Jobs
By Kim Tong-hyung


Set aside all the hanky panky about the U.S. jury’s $1.05 bil. verdict in favor of Apple over Samsung Electronics in their patent dispute.

The real issue is whether the framework of the century-old patent laws, which served as the basis for the San Jose decision, has outlived its essential usefulness for inspiring innovation.

The essential process of this involves building upon and improving the works of others. This was precisely the real genius of the late Steve Jobs as he converted the touch-screen computer from a colossal flop to a mainstream consumer device and invented smartphones on the basis of ideas that he couldn’t claim to be his and his alone.

As described in a New Yorker piece, the Apple founder’s talent was “more editorial than inventive.”

Thus, there is more than a hint of irony that Apple has been as aggressive in exploiting the structure of patent laws, which are tied to the idea that innovation is wholly a product of isolated, individual brilliance.

In throwing out Apple’s patent case against Google in July, U.S. Appeals Court Judge Richard Posner ridiculed Apple’s claims over several functions like swiping to unlock a phone to register his disdain over how absurd patent wrangling between technology companies are becoming.

For Posner, the San Jose verdict may elicit the same response.

Kim Ki-chang, a Korea University law professor who has been actively involved in technology-related legal debates here, described Apple’s legal moves as a gross abuse of intellectual property law.

``I think the whole case highlights the limitations and side effects of patent laws, which I believed need to be entirely rebooted. Throughout its short history of around 100 years, the supporters of patent laws described them as a key requirement to inspire innovation. In reality, however, it has been killing innovation and providing an easy way for dominant companies to cement their dominance, fair trade ideals be damned,’’ Kim said.

``So does this mean that Apple is the only handset maker in the world that should be allowed to produce smartphones with curved corners? We live in a highly-developed, complicated world where it’s impossible for a company to produce a product without stepping on a patent or two. Now, only the biggest companies that can swallow enormous legal fees are allowed to defend their market positions, while smaller firms are easily buried under a pile of lawsuits, taking innovation with them.

``Competition laws provide wide access to critical technologies under the principles of reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing. So while Samsung can’t get paid extra for its essential technology in wireless patents, Apple can get paid massively for design patents that are considered trivial, and there is some irony in this.’’

Kim claims that it would be ideal to expand the areas covered by the principles of ``fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms,’’ which are aimed at allowing companies to access wider ranges of technologies by paying licensing fees.

Emailthkim@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1[LIFE'S OLLE TRAILS 1] How hiking Jeju's 437km of trails changed my life LIFE'S OLLE TRAILS 1How hiking Jeju's 437km of trails changed my life
2Election watchdog under fire for refusing to accept inspection Election watchdog under fire for refusing to accept inspection
3Korea denies discussion with EU on sending ammunition to Ukraine Korea denies discussion with EU on sending ammunition to Ukraine
4Concerns rise over Samsung SDS' growing intra-group transactionsConcerns rise over Samsung SDS' growing intra-group transactions
5S. Korea, Japan agree to prevent recurrence of radar disputeS. Korea, Japan agree to prevent recurrence of radar dispute
6K-food transforms global culinary industry K-food transforms global culinary industry
7Shipbuilding stocks rally over hope for 'super cycle' Shipbuilding stocks rally over hope for 'super cycle'
8Korean bio firms to seek new opportunities at int'l convention in BostonKorean bio firms to seek new opportunities at int'l convention in Boston
9Korea sees record-high number of flu patients for late spring Korea sees record-high number of flu patients for late spring
10Public welcomed to rediscover newly demilitarized land in Yongsan Children's Garden Public welcomed to rediscover newly demilitarized land in Yongsan Children's Garden
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Baritone Kim Tae-han wins Queen Elisabeth Competition Baritone Kim Tae-han wins Queen Elisabeth Competition
2Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation
3[INTERVIEW] 'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series INTERVIEW'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series
4'HyeMiLeeYeChaePa' producer Lee Tae-kyung hopeful of second season 'HyeMiLeeYeChaePa' producer Lee Tae-kyung hopeful of second season
5How artist Michael Rakowitz resurrects lost past of Iraq through food packaging How artist Michael Rakowitz resurrects lost past of Iraq through food packaging
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group