‘The Kiss of Death:’ Small Tech Companies Accuse Apple of Stealing Technology

Tech giant Apple has been accused of stealing technology from smaller companies by more than two dozen executives, inventors, investors, and lawyers. Incredibly, Apple claims it is the victim. A spokesperson said, “The truth is, these companies are blatantly copying our products or stifling competition by using invalid patents.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple, the tech giant known for its innovative products and groundbreaking design, has been accused by more than two dozen executives, inventors, investors, and lawyers of stealing technology from smaller companies after engaging in discussions about potential partnerships or integration. However, Apple disputes these allegations and insists that it respects the proprietary information of other companies.

Joe Kiani, the founder of Masimo, a manufacturer of blood-oxygen measuring devices, said: “When Apple takes an interest in a company, it is the kiss of death. First, you get all excited. Then you realize that the long-term plan is to do it themselves and take it all.”

Numerous businesses have sued Apple on the grounds that the tech giant stole their intellectual property. The Justice Department is presently looking into whether Apple prefers its own goods above those created by independent developers.

Apple claims to be the victim of much smaller companies. “The truth is, these companies are blatantly copying our products or stifling competition by using invalid patents,” an Apple spokeswoman said. “We will continue to fight these baseless claims in court and to advance technologies on behalf of our customers and public health.”

Additionally, Apple has been charged with trying to have more patent claims rejected before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board since 2012 than any other petitioner. It is becoming more and more difficult for smaller businesses to enforce patents, according to critics who claim that the patent system is biased in favor of powerful, long-standing corporations.

Andrei Iancu, former director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, said, “It’s the result of decades of policy push to implement a variety of policies in the patent system that make it increasingly more difficult to enforce patents.”

Apple, though, insists that it uses the patent system sparingly and that its intention is not to swamp any company with legal documents. The business said that its usage of the petition system was consistent with those of other businesses in a similar situation.

Apple’s reputation for innovation and adherence to intellectual property is still under investigation as the legal actions proceed.

Read more at the Wall Street Journal here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan