$35 tablet earns Apple and MS ire, tech giants eye injunction
The launch of $35 tablet nicknamed Aakash could run into rough weather with Apple and Microsoft claiming that the device infringed on patents owned by them. Late Tuesday evening the legal team of Apple and Microsoft started working in tandem to seek injunction on display and sale of the tablet.
Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal who is driving the project asked Apple and Microsoft to ‘stand down’ and stop ‘nagging’. “What do they think this is sue-go-round? If they go ahead and file cases, I will make sure that both these companies pack their bags from India and will not be able to sell even a memory stick in this part of the world again. This is not US or EU our writ runs here and if you have a problem with it you better stand down or go on an indefinite fast,” an angry Sibal said.
Apple’s legal representatives were unsure about the specific patents violated by Aakash. “We were just told to sue everything that runs on Android. Just the other day we filed a case against some guy who wanted to sell a calculator that was based on Android. So you know how serious we are on attacking Android-based devices,” an Apple insider said.
Microsoft when contacted declined to offer a comment. But insiders say MS is ready to offer conditional nod if the Indian government was willing to share $15 for every Aakash sold.
Infosys chairman emeritus NR Narayana Murthy meanwhile lamented the poor quality of tablets for sale out there and blamed fly-by-night operators for claiming big and delivering small. “Most of these tablets are designed by ‘coached’ IIT students and not captive code copiers and writers like the ones employed by Infosys,"NRN said.
Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal who is driving the project asked Apple and Microsoft to ‘stand down’ and stop ‘nagging’. “What do they think this is sue-go-round? If they go ahead and file cases, I will make sure that both these companies pack their bags from India and will not be able to sell even a memory stick in this part of the world again. This is not US or EU our writ runs here and if you have a problem with it you better stand down or go on an indefinite fast,” an angry Sibal said.
Aakash |
Microsoft when contacted declined to offer a comment. But insiders say MS is ready to offer conditional nod if the Indian government was willing to share $15 for every Aakash sold.
Infosys chairman emeritus NR Narayana Murthy meanwhile lamented the poor quality of tablets for sale out there and blamed fly-by-night operators for claiming big and delivering small. “Most of these tablets are designed by ‘coached’ IIT students and not captive code copiers and writers like the ones employed by Infosys,"NRN said.
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