bloomboom

This is a great example of unequal prosecution. A startup that has its IP copied illegally would be lucky to not be ignored by the feds. Even if it was the proximate cause of a startup’s failure (which is admittedly rare).

But for Google and Goldman Sachs which never suffer any real damage in these cases, the feds are their private army capable of raiding and imprisoning anyone who copies some files illegally, even if they suffer no actual harm whatsoever.

There is no question Google should be able to use the law to stop someone from using their IP illegally and be compensated for any damages. But this attempt to make an example out of someone just because they’re powerful is despicable.

The combination of powerful corporations with vendettas and prosecutors out to make their bones is a huge flaw in our system.

It’s amazing that a decade and a half later Apple still hasn’t fulfilled Steve Jobs’ original dream of merging the web and apps.

He wasn’t saying third party apps should be HTML5 just to stall for time. He really believed it. And it was a good idea and still is.

Processors, memory, bandwidth, and browsers have all advanced by leaps and bounds and yet the dream remains unrealized and Apple is the most to blame. They got addicted to the ill gotten gains of their walled garden and can’t bring themselves to kick the addiction. Rent seeking is a powerful force.

It’s pathetic for a company so good at being honest with themselves and moving forward when they know what the best future is.

The App Store shouldn’t exist at this point. It has outlived its usefulness. It’s in their users’ best interests to move beyond it. And yet maybe it’s too traumatic and daring a move for anyone other than Steve Jobs to attempt.

Tim Cook could drop the headphone jack because it didn’t damage the bottom line but dropping the App Store would actually cost something in the short term even if it is the right thing to do for everyone in the long term.