Is there ever any end to the constant amount of complaining by the general public, whenever a company gets sued for patent infringement? Honestly, if I had a product, that was built and documented (patented), prior to another that was of similar, if not identical features (design, colors, function and/or style), I would do anything I could to protect that patent. Just because a company has grown large and makes its fair share of profits, doesn't discount them from being able to do the same things to protect itself, it stockholders and its patrons. If they have a legitimate case, with proper legal documentation, then more power to them.

Some of you will say "Oh, well there just out to make a buck!" You know what?...You are absolutely right! How and why do think businesses exist? How and why do you believe our stockmarkets grow and our economy prospers?

Please, just think a little more rationally. If you get mad at a company, maybe they don't have the greatest quality product (driver issues, faulty hardware, pieces missing and so on), don't continue to give them your business. Take it out of their pocket books. If they are a good enough company, they will realize it, and take corrective actions within their company to maintain a solid business. Don't sit there and whine about some great injustice, because you don't believe they should be allowed to prosper from something or some service you purchased from them. A company that sells products or services, needs customers to sell its products or services to. If a customer dislikes the company in any way, they may not purchase any products or services from that company anymore. The company then loses a customer, income and business, and thus, effects the market economy (granted that my scale is a little small at the moment, but it applies to large groups). The best thing to do is to let the company know, so that they may try and remedy whatever problem they may have. Not to launch some kind of personal war, in a forum that the company may never even see to effect the views, and infect the views of others who may not even know about what is wrong.

Yes, we all get angry on occasion, and we generally like to voice our anger and opinions. That is fine, that is our right, and that is what public and forum discussions are for. It helps us to identify threats to our well being and to others. But constant ravings, and illegitimate outcries for these companies and people's heads, are usually without merit, and without any result. The next time you are wronged by something that doesn't involve you in any way, for this instance, a court ruling in favor of Creative for protecting its patent and its rights, try making a case for yourself first. Don't yell out that they are evil, unscrupulous and should be exorsized, because you just plain, cannot stand big business. Have some kind of point, don't just cry out "injustice!"

This doesn't only apply to this particular day, and comments page. And I apologize for it, since, so far, their hasn't been too much public outcry, but I know it's coming, hell...I've done it in the past myself, which is part of the reason for my writing this. The one thing I cannot abide by the most is being dishonest to myself and to my ideals. I'm not a fanboy of any major product, I do have my favorites, but I won't discount anyone or anything based only upon the opinions of others.

I love many of the comments on these forums and in the articles. The humor, the degree of intelligence and the ability of everyone to get along well with everyone else throughout this site, but why relegate yourselves to such a pitiful display of unsubstantiated animosity (Wow, now I'm starting to sound pompous). At least have a little more tact when critisizing someone or something. I am just troubled by the constant attack that people resort to, whenever something doesn't go their way. I run a facility for the military, within a housing community, with all of its activities and uses being free of charge to that community, and all I get everyday, are the constant bickerings and complaints from the people that I, or my company, is in some way, unfair to them for offering everything on a silver plate. Even when a service is FREE, there is no end to the amount of hatred that some people can derive from it.

I'm not trying to insult anyone here, or cause some kind of sweeping and dramatic change in the way people think and live. It's just nice to see a little less senseless and useless mutter, every once and a while. Don't hate, just for the sake of hating something. You all are better than that.

The most interesting parts of the lawsuit to me are the "Creative joins made for iPod" angle and the "get their money back if Creative licenses to others" angle.

Sounds to me like Apple may end up coming out the winner here--members of the "made for iPod" program have to pay Apple a fee for every device they sell with the logo on it, plus this will serve to expand the iPod's lead in the market that much more.

A $100m deal is probably good for Apple's shareholders, instead of a long drawn out court case that will cost a significant amount anyway, with the risk of the patent being upheld and far higher licensing costs being awarded. They'll get some back if Creative license it to other companies, and Creative will also make iPod accessories that will make the iPod more desirable. It presumably also has a 'no-sue' clause in it to stop either party suing each other over patents in the next few years.

Look at the NTP vs RIM case, the patents were equally obvious. If RIM had licensed them up front they'd have saved a huge bunch of money and hassle.

It's good for Apple (the settlement gives them a license which they can put on the books as an asset, and thus spread the cost over a few years due to deprecation). It's good for Creative. It sucks for other DMP manufacturers who have an interface that does what the Creative patent says. It sucks for consumers a bit (that money will come from somewhere, but it's not much per device).

However this is all caused by an inadequate and abused patent system. The patent was obvious by someone in the field, it should not have been granted. The system set up to argue patent infringement is too costly and in most cases it's better to license a bogus patent than fight it. Especially if you validate the patent by licensing it, thus making it more difficult for your competitors to compete.

There are no words to describe .... Apple tried to counter sue Creative but i guess Creative is much more clever in dealing with law/patent rather than improving on there drivers quality.

If they put all 100 mil towards driver development, this could be a good thing!

Ah, then I wake up and face cold hard reality. :(

Wow, Creative FTW.?.

In one of my first projects on my first job out of college I put together a sequential circuit that clocked data out on both rising and falling clock edges. If I'd only known. Right now we'd all be running SlugMem and I'd be able to afford an new processor more than once every three years.

Know what's worse? People who patent ideas, then do nothing with them and let them sit around for decades. I ran into this one within the past year.

And Creative's business strategy of filing bogus lawsuits against competitors continues to bear fruit for them. *sigh*

Why there even is a "Zen Patent" is beyond me... All this is abuse of justice...