UPDATED 10:46 EDT / AUGUST 26 2011

Android-Riddled Verizon Appeals To Obama: Stop the Patent Wars!

As the grueling saga of the patent wars push on, people are getting dizzy following the drama. Verizon is already fed-up with these ridiculous patent wars and have thought of a solution to end all this, ask President Barrack Obama to step in.

If companies are dissatisfied with the latest Supreme Court ruling, they can turn to the International Trade Commission, which can ban product importation and this is what the likes of Apple and Samsung are banking on.  But the president can overturn the ITC’s decision and force companies to settle the old fashion way, by paying for damages, as expounded in an article in the Wall Street Journal.

“But another peculiarity of the ITC is that its rulings can be waived by the president. Verizon thinks it would be great if President Obama, in a blanket statement, made clear he would not let stand any decision blocking importation of consumer wireless devices. The parties then would have to recur to normal patent litigation, and whatever rights and wrongs are discovered could be settled by exchanges of cash. Mobile is a rare industry exhibiting growth, job creation and animal spirits. Who needs a paralyzing meltdown?”

Patent wars have already stretched far and wide and I doubt that companies involved in these cases will just back down and settle for damages.  But honestly, patents are now being used to manipulate the market.  They are using patents not to protect their intellectual properties but to prevent manufacturers and developers from making innovative products.  Right now, it is difficult being a developer. You’re always at risk of stepping on someone else’s toes and getting slapped with a patent infringement lawsuit.

President Obama may or may not step in, but it would be nice to if someone could put an end to this.  There are far more important things they could concentrate on, like making devices that don’t look alike in the first place.

As for Verizon, though appealing to the president may be something they can easily get themselves wrapped into, they have more important issues to address, like the surge of Android devices that are filling up their inventory.  They have already made a move to cut-back on the Android device surge, as they have declined to sell the much awaited Samsung Galaxy SII that will be launched In the US in a matter of days.

“We have an extensive portfolio that offers customers a great variety of devices, including the Samsung Droid Charge,” Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney said.

Verizon has also introduced an affordable data plan for as low as $20 for 300MB of data per month in five states.  The tiered plan aims to help smartphone users whose data consumption is below 300MB a month.  But the downside is, if you go over 300MB you could end up paying another $20, $10 more than if they just opted to get the 2GB data plan for $30.

Verizon employees in New York are taking advantage of the rare state law that allows workers on strike to receive unemployment benefits.  The workers on strike could receive the $405 maximum weekly benefit that New York provides if they are proven to be eligible.  Eligibility mostly comes from when the company prevents their workers from going to their jobs during a contract dispute or it engages in unfair labor practices.  In Verizon’s case, the workers chose to walk out, making them not eligible for the benefits.


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