In the last few days the latest court case between Apple and Samsung has kicked into action. This isn't something I'd usually comment on but I am feeling quite annoyed about the continuing trend that has become the technology industry's default stance on competition. What ever happened to innovation?

This isn't so much a discussion on the court case, but more my own view of its impact on us, the consumers.

You can read a detailed report on exactly what these two companies are now legally arguing about here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/24/apple_damages_samsung_tablet_design/

I hate this sort of thing. What it amounts to is that WE will end out paying more for our devices and device research and development will be reduced. If a company is spending a load of money and time on suing another company then they aren't thinking about MY next experience on THEIR next device.

Neither company is exactly strapped for cash, but I hope that all the legal fees are coming straight out of the marketing budget because that is the role that legal proceedings seem to now partly fulfil. Both Apple and Samsung have greatly increased the visibility of their own, and their rivals products purely by them being mentioned in specific detail time and time again in most news sites around the world. Why produce a marketing campaign when the legal team are going to get your brand into every newsworthy publication every time a legal decision is made?

As I mentioned above there seems to be a very casual attitude towards legal proceedings these days. Obviously I am not party to the exact internal workings of these companies but they do not exactly appear to be reluctant to jump into a courtroom.

In this case I think Apple and Samsung are equally to blame. They both seem very eager to proceed down a legal route rather than letting consumers decide for themselves. There seems little point in trying to historically decide who sued whom first as I'm not sure that would really signify that either one of them was in the right.

Morally it's quite annoying as well. What ever happened to innovating your way to the top of the technology tree rather than legally blocking the competition? How does that follow the western concept of commercialism? Its difficult to remain unbiased as everyone tends to have a favourite preference when it comes to technology. I am not an Apple fan, so I disagree with any statement about them being cutting edge in terms of new product design. I think what they have done very well is take existing elements from other devices and incorporate them into their own. Then market the hell out of them to make them consumer products, not IT products (for me that's the genius part). At the same time Samsung are not exactly squeaky clean.

Historically Apple have been doing this sort of things for years. As an example of Apple's history of 'we invented it' here is how they tried the same thing against Creative Labs years ago. (who had better products, but less marketing). They claimed they owned the 'wheel' device for navigation, which they didn't.

http://anythingbutipod.com/2005/08/apple-copied-creative-who-cares/