(NNPA)—Apple’s success story is a familiar one: a group of misfits who grew an unlikely startup from the confines of a small garage into the world’s largest business. From the company’s iconic logo to the off-beat leadership of the late Steve Jobs, Apple’s public image has always invited the idea that it holds an equal bite at the apple for everyone. It seems quintessentially American—except it isn’t—and the tech giant’s efforts to eliminate its competition are perilous for the African-American community.
In recent years, revelations about Apple’s business practices—from evasive tax schemes to protracted courtroom battles—have gradually pulled back the veneer on a company that leaders from Washington to Wall Street have begun to question. Digging in its heels against shifting market dynamics, Apple has shown a troubling side, one prepared to disrupt competition and trample consumer interests.
This month, a U.S. district judge rejected Apple’s request for a permanent injunction on Samsung smartphone sales on grounds of patent infringement. The ruling marks the latest chapter in a three year courtroom battle over features such as autocomplete and slide-to-unlock technology. Juries have already awarded Apple nearly $1 billion in restitution.
Regardless, Apple is headed back to court again, this time to dispute the operating platforms of newer model Samsung phones. Its demand this go-around: a $40 royalty per phone or tablet sold, which some experts have called “objective insanity.” It doesn’t take an economist to forecast the impact of such a levy; the fee will get passed along to consumers in the form of higher device costs.
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