Apple doesn’t want Motorola to quote Steve Jobs in court
Steve Jobs’ opinion on Android has been very firmly established; he was willing to do anything to burn it down. Former Apple CEO’s public vendetta against Google’s Android was circulated around the internet after Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography was released. The book included controversial quotes that Apple unsuccessfully requested to be left out of the court room in its upcoming lawsuit against Motorola, set to take place in Northern Illinois starting June 11.
Said quotes included the following:
- “I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong.”
- “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”
These are rather strong comments. And though Judge Richard Posner gave no reason for his decision while setting the ground rules last Thursday, the reason was made very clear just a few days later.
“More broadly, I forbid Apple to insinuate to the jury that this case is a popularity contest and jurors should be predisposed to render a verdict for Apple if they like Apple products or the Apple company or admire Steve Jobs, or if they dislike Motorola or Google.”
Undoubtedly, the Android vs. iOS war is everywhere and the vast majority of the population has an opinion on the matter. This probably includes the jury, and the judge wants jurors to have a clear perception of the case. It would not be fair for participating jurors to simply take sides based on personal preferences.
[Via: GigaOM]