Why does Apple make you mad? Most companies do this. Remember when Oracle bought Sun and said "don't worry, Sun's IP is safe with us" and then started suing people for using it? Ellison was on camera saying "I don't know if Java is free". Well you knew when you bought it!

MS has some incredibly slimy stuff. And there are companies that don't even make anything, they just sue. I can't imagine a reason to single out Apple for their behavior unless you just came out of stasis within the last few years.

And honestly, if I were them I'd be pretty pissed at Samsung as well. Obviously when the iPhone came out it was going to "inspire" other companies to make something similar but they even did their ad photos in a way to make it look like the iPhone. It was blatant. This is what these laws are for and you can bet anyone and everyone would sue Apple if the roles were reversed.

Hell, Google doesn't have clean hands in any of this either, their behavior has been arguably worse.

I believe Apple is becoming too prescriptive; both in terms of its iOS ecosystem (e.g. policing and moderation of the AppStore) and in terms of the way it interacts with its customers (e.g. the connectors available to users).

While many people will say "it's their product, they can do what they like", I find this argument disingenuous, especially when the company in question begins to aggressively attack market growth in the court room.

I believe Apple's aggressively litigious actions are at odds with competition and innovation. I don't agree that they have every right to go after Samsung - and I find the idea that simple interface features can be patented absurd.

This kind of litigious behaviour highlights much of what's wrong in current society IMO.

I believe that the philosophy behind Apple's recent actions, potentially prevents innovation and if left unhindered will lead to a world that's arguably less free.

I agree many companies may behave in a similar way, I don't think this excuses the behaviour - especially when Apple's marketing message is based upon the idea of 'thinking different'.

Why should they, or anyone else, sit back and watch a competitor get rich off of their work? That's the crux of the matter, isn't it? The validity of some of the patents is undoubtedly questionable, but then Samsung are suing based on FRAND patents that have already been paid for. That's far worse IMO, yet this is constantly glossed over. Samsung are no mor innocent than Apple are guilty. Hate on a corporation all you want, but vilifying consumers for their choice of phone? That's crossing a line. It's inverted snobbery. It like how Apple fans used to behave...

How am I vilifying consumers?

I don't believe I have done; however, the fact you feel I have is significant. Many Apple customers feel affronted by criticism of Apple, which is testament to the strength of their marketing.

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I agree that the validity of some of the patents is questionable. However I do not feel the issue simply involves Apple fearing that competitors will get rich from their hard work. I believe the situation is more complex.

Apple lost the fight against Microsoft in the 1980s / 90s largely because MS produced a product (MS Windows) that was sold as a compliment to commodity hardware (the IBM compatible PC). Apple wasn't able to gain as much exponential growth in market-share as the IBM-compatible/MS combo.

Cut to today - Apple risks losing the fight against Google, largely because Google have produced a product (Android) that's sold (in kind) as a compliment to commodity hardware (made by a host of hardware manufacturers).

Apple is repeating history.

Often when one sees criticism of $COMPANY, it usually follows with derogatory comment and vilification of $COMPANY's users. I made an assumption and it made an ass of me and for that I apologies.