Apple Wants Patents For Crippling Cellphones 371
theodp writes "Evil is in the eye of the beholder, but there's certainly not much to like in the newly-disclosed Apple patent applications for Systems and Methods for Provisioning Computing Devices. Provisioning, says Apple, allows carriers to 'specify access limitations to certain device resources which may otherwise be available to users of the device.' So what problem are we trying to solve here? 'Mobile devices often have capabilities that the carriers do not want utilized on their networks,' explains Apple. 'Various applications on these devices may also need to be restricted.'"
Confirmed (Score:5, Funny)
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
That is hardly news (Score:5, Funny)
When most phones, including the iPhone, come into contact with anything Apple, they become crippled.
At least we can officially call it: The Apple Effect.
Leave Apple Alone! (Score:5, Funny)
They're just patenting this defect so they can sue anyone that would try to harm us.
Re:Confirmed (Score:5, Funny)
"Your cell phone sucks. It doesn't use all of its potential, so you are infringing on our patent and you owe us money."
Re:Leave Apple Alone! (Score:3, Funny)
Spoken like a Tru(TM) Fanboi!
No, apparently I'm a windows fanboi [slashdot.org] this week.
I'll forgive your misjudgment though, since someone modded the Apple comment insightful.
Wait a minute... (Score:4, Funny)
If Apple successfully patents this, it'll be harder for other people to do it. Why is this bad, again?
So it's DRM... ON A CELLPHONE (Score:4, Funny)
Is "ON A CELLPHONE" the new "ON THE INTERNET"? A quick glance over the claims reveals nothing that hasn't been done with DRM before in other settings.
Re:Not defective by design (Score:5, Funny)
No good! Don't understand! Your analogy has no cars!
Re:In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
... will now play the Imperial March ....
My phone does that now -- but only when my ex-wife calls.
Re:Queue Verizon talk in... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Not defective by design (Score:5, Funny)
Let's patent it!
Re:Queue Verizon talk in... (Score:5, Funny)
Crippling phones? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In other news... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Confirmed (Score:5, Funny)
I hope they get this patent. Then I won't have to deal with any of this crippleware B.S. anymore, as long as I don't buy a phone from Apple.
Re:Queue Verizon talk in... (Score:3, Funny)
You guys are dorks
Re:Crippling phones? (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, but it's not in the appstore. It's duplicating built-in functionality.
Re:In other news... (Score:3, Funny)
Mine plays [the Imperial March] for my current wife.
Complaining already, eh? You better pray that she doesn't alter the agreement any further.
Apple's new motto (Score:3, Funny)
Do No Evil - unless your Apple
Re:Confirmed (Score:3, Funny)
That's what they want you to think. Just wait till those bits turn off. Suddenly YOUR files belong to THEM.
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Well I guess I could have written --------- but that might not have been as clear.