[thezilch]

Google seems to feel entitled to copy whatever it wants. Android copies the UI from the iPhone. Places copied data from Yelp. Google+ copies from Facebook. Their coupon thing is a clone of Groupon. And yet it’s Google that acts as though it has been offended when these competitors fight back.

The one sited source is extremely shallow, and the rest is both not sourced and laughable. Gruber is making quite the leap after his hand waving and backpedaling.

[MikeCapone]

He must be extremely angry at car companies all copying each other. And what about microwave makers? Toasters? Airplanes? How dare they?

[kenjackson]

While I'm not a fan of Gruber I think its fair to say that he's writing to an audience for which all of these are well known. You may disagree with their validity, but you're already well familiar with their arguments and evidence -- sources probably aren't a necessity for a blog post on the topic.

[thezilch]

The only reports I've read about are Apple's claims and lawsuits [against Android handsets], which I have found fairly disingenuous when one can find Apple borrowing from past IP. The remaining claims I've not heard of and have little reason they are anything but hot air and rabid FUD.

Places copies Yelp data? Beyond the shallow article and the sites themselves, it is not obvious for the places I frequent. We are not given details about what Google was allowed to crawl, scrape, or otherwise. Google has millions, for any given site, of records that it will display through its search or otherwise.

Gruber's claims against Google Plus and Offers are him merely grasping at straws and trying to paint Google as bad guys. What exactly is he or "his audience" claiming against these properties?

[kenjackson]

Honestly, I'm not clear if you're arguing the validity of Gruber's claims or that you'd never heard of them.

I'm not saying that his audience is making any claim. I'm saying that his audience knows what claims Gruber is referring to. I do agree that sources rarely hurt, but in this case it doesn't seem crucial.

With that said, Gruber is the guy who did a crusade against Ina Fried because she only linked to a source and didn't spell out the author's full name. So given that, it's probably fair to stretch Gruber for his ommission of sources.

[shareme]

Funny Apple copied stuff from Palm..hmm did Palm sue Apple though or come up with a better plan to innovate?

And notice folks no Apple sues MS even though there is some UI copying..