[cognivore]

If I were Cook, I'd draw a line in the sand. If we are force to comply, we exit the phone business, because we won't make phones that compromise our customer's security.

But that would take more balls than anyone left here in this "Land of the free and home of the brave" seems to have left anymore.

[JoeAltmaier]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/04/17/lavabit-company-...

[makecheck]

And, his letter is still posted on his web site, describing what he went through:

http://lavabit.com/

[cognivore]

Thank you, and I'm proud of Lavabit. They're at the top of my Balls list now.

[unimpressive]

Okay so ignoring the fact that this would be insane from a business perspective.

It also doesn't make sense from a game theory perspective, if you're a Good Company that's going to fight on this issue, it makes sense to be in business as long as possible to be a pain in the rear for authoritarian jerks. If every company who was willing to stand up to these guys went out of business immediately after you'd only have people who aren't willing left over.

[cognivore]

It's no longer a business issue, and if it is, then Apple is just posing.

Apple's positive affect on our economy, our technology, and even our nation, would make such a line that our government would have to think long and hard about pursing their demands.

Imagine if Apple, and the tech community as a whole, stood behind that decision. Of course they won't because they rather be rich than free.

[nemothekid]

>Imagine if Apple, and the tech community as a whole, stood behind that decision.

You didn't counter his point. Again, its insane from a Game Theory perspective, it would require all players in the tech community to be effective, whereas if one person defects he now has access to a huge market where all the incumbents are gone.

Apple doing this would just mean "someone is going to create backdoor'd phones and capture the market, just not us", and we would get nowhere.

[programmarchy]

Yes, it would be awesome.

> they rather be rich than free

But don't most people want to be rich so that they can be free?

[rhino369]

The board of directors would string him up. And if they didn't the stockholders would. No way would apple give up the phone business.

[castratikron]

Apple could also put the software under a free license. The community could remove any backdoors that Apple is required to put in. They could still sell the hardware if they wanted to keep making money, just like Google does now.

[umanwizard]

He'd be fired immediately.