Will Apple Defeat Android?
News has boomed recently with Google’s Android OS is under attack for patent infringement. Apple is accusing Android of infringeing on 10 patents (2 of which have initially been confirmed) and Oracle is adding another 7 to that list. (Apple is also accusing Motorola and Nokia of infringement).
Apple’s Android OS has existed very much in the spirit of unlocked cell phones: it’s based on open source software and an app store anyone can contribute too.
Much like how carriers don’t like unlocked cell phones, they don’t like Android’s openness, or rather they like it a little too much: most carriers Android as a blank template for installing their own software. (That’s why unlocked cell phones/jailbroken cell phones are so awesome: they say heck-no to carrier locks and restrictions).
Google/Android’s battle will take months (if not years), but it could have positive implications for open source software and unlocked cell phones. If Google fights successfully, over-restrictive copyright law might be improved (or removed!). This would be a boon for both consumers and developers like Google.
Of course, if Google loses, it could be the end for HTC phones, and possibly Android. Or they might lose an intense amount of market share. In that case, consumers can still have their jailbroken iPhones and other unlocked cell phones!


