Patent wars

/rant

The news and media have had an explosion of patent litigation over the past year or so.   Because of the way patents work, Apple has patented many things I dont think should be patent-able

Apple owns patent on rectangle

Other things they have a patent on

 - using two fingers on a glass screen

 - scanning a text or email to recognise a web link or phone number

 - a touch screen device

 - a sleek rectangle device with a user interface

In my opinion, companies should only be able to patent the technology or CODE behind the idea, not the idea itself.

The below statement is my opinion, there are no facts here:

  In my opinion Apple has realised they are losing the smartphone war, just like the lost the computer war in the early 90's.   Even though Apple perfected the personal PC (or smartphone) they used closed source tactics and the same stuff we are seeing now.   IBM came through as the winner of the personal computer age.  

  We are fighting the exact same battle now.  Apple perfected the smartphone, but they are losing the war.   Current worldwide market share shows the iPhone has 27% market share, while android is pushing 50%.

  Apple has gotten desperate and decided to sue everybody into oblivion.  link  Article with this posts image.  Over the past month some interesting stuff has happened.   Google, whom operates android, only had 1000 patents for the entire company.   Then they decided to purchase Motorolla Mobility, aquiring a total of 24000 more patents.   Notice that they Android partners are not suing each other.   It has been one on one for a while, and pretty soon its going to be Apple vs (google, htc, samsung, motorolla, LG, etc).  

If i was apple, i would fear that they I just awoke a sleeping giant.   Apple is one company suing many different companies.   What happens when those many different companies decide to fight back?   You have many companies suing ONE company, and I think this will start to be a problem for Apple.   Patents for rectangles are nothing, when webOS has the patent for the smartphone.

Intersting facts:
  Google transfered 9 key patents to HTC for defence and couter-suit against Apple.

  Samsung announced today they are sueing to block the release of the iPhone 5 in Korea.

  Motorolla has lawsuits with Apple.

  Motorolla has the patent for a device that turns its screen off when its next to your ear.
  Motorolla has many key patents for LTE 4g services
  Palm (webOS) has the patent for the smartphone

I dont believe Google will ever go on the offensive.   They will win the smartphone warswith true innovation, competing for consumer products.   Once apple stops suing for rediculous reasons, everything will go back to normal and it will be the same battle of OS between Microsoft and Apple of the 90's and 00's.  Apple's current tactics and method of attempting to win involves lawsuits.

In the end, all these lawsuits stifle innovation.

Funny thoughts: 
  Can I patent walking?  
  The "new" iOS notification system is the one Android has been using for 3 years. 
  There were many tablets before the iPad, the Crunchpad is one to name.  
  What would have happened if the laptop had this many lawsuits over a "book like square design"