So now IBM is worried about Apple, too?
When you think of Apple's likely competitors, IBM isn't one of the names that would top the list. Even so, IBM is suing to block one of its employees from joining Apple, as CNET reports.
Bizarre. Yes, as CNET's Tom Krazit points out, Mark Papermaster, IBM's former vice president of microprocessor technology development, could help to revive Apple's Xserve server line, or he could work on its chip technology, or...he could do many things. But the point is that none of them is a clear and present danger to any of IBM's businesses.
Indeed, the only business line that Apple has been pillaging lately is no longer even IBM's to lose: the ThinkPad/PC line.
Larry Dignan at ZDNet could be on to something:
IBM's biggest worry is that Papermaster is part of a select group of executives that has access to the company's "substantial investment in research and innovation." Simply put, IBM has a huge research arm that cooks up all kinds of neat gadgets that it will never take to market. That kind of know-how coupled with Apple's design and marketing heft could be dangerous.
Dangerous? Sure. But to whom? If these science experiments never make it to market, then why would IBM be concerned if some of its R&D actually did make it to market, but under Apple's guidance? Sounds like sour grapes to me, especially if you dig through IBM's 2007 annual report. You'd struggle to find anything in there related to a present or future threat from the likes of Apple.
Throw out the lawsuit on summary judgment, Ms. Judge. Let IBM get back to competing with products, not subpoenas.
Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mjasay. 
- by stahnma November 3, 2008 8:33 PM PST
- If by do a lot of open source, you mean use it, than yes. IBM contributes. Apple borrows, adds on (not releasing that code to anybody) and then locks you into their game.
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- by odubtaig November 4, 2008 5:38 AM PST
- Actually all modifications to the Darwin core continue to be released even though this is not mandatory. All changes to GCC, G++ and GOBJC must be released. This may only be to keep the communities on side Like it or not, what happens in both companies affects FL/OSS ego news about them is relevant.
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