[sorbus]

> They failed to take a stand because it was cheaper not to. Does that look anything but revealing?

Apple is a corporation. That is exactly how corporations behave: they do not take a stand unless they see material benefit in doing so. If you want to claim that something is revealing about Apple's view of patents, perhaps you should consider the number of patents Apple has.

Also, an analogy: if someone mugs me and I hand over my wallet, that does not mean that I'm endorsing the process of mugging. It means that I've decided that the known cost of complying (the contents of my wallet) is less than the potential cost of any injuries I might sustain in the process of fighting back.

[rbanffy]

Apple is a corporation, but we like to delude ourselves thinking they are a different kind of corporation, founded on different values.