"Xerox was allowed to invest in Apple in exchange for access to PARC.": http://www.quora.com/Retrocomputing/Did-Apple-need-to-licens...

How many times. Jobs paid for the IP from Xerox. Check your facts. There probably are things Apple have stolen over they years, but this wasn't one of them.

Xerox sued, but the case was dismissed without addressing the claims, because it was filed as the wrong type of case, in the wrong court.

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/24/business/most-of-xerox-s-s...

Xerox did give Apple access to PARC, but see how that allows Apple to freely use any of their IP without compensation.

According to Xerox:

''The ruling does not mean Apple hasn't taken substantial portions of the Star and claimed them as their own,'' a statement issued by Xerox said. ''The court merely held, we believe erroneously, that Xerox does not have standing to present facts in support of our contention.''

Wow, Apple even copied Xerox's non-apologies for lost lawsuits.

Great. It's still a copy. Whether they paid for access to it or not is irrelevant - it's still a copy of someone else's innovation.

I doubt a patent attorney would consider that irrelevant, and it's not irrelevant when you're discussing corporate conduct.

I don't mean legally, I meant in the "Apple is soooooo innovative" sense.

It seems like most Apple acolytes have conceded that point.

Emphasis can be a powerful thing. If you see an array of amazing things (as I'm sure Jobs & Co did at PARC), and then you select a key item to emphasize and popularize, then you have, in fact, contributed value. One could say that this was Steve Jobs' first act of 'technology curation' - an act which has (successfully) been commoditized and monetized via the App Store.

And Apple added a lot to the original.

Like 'a black rectangle with rounded corners'?

> And Apple added a lot to the original.

Ah, sarcasm.

you should really take a look at what they "copied"

Let's see: Windows, Icons, Menu, Pointer. Which of those were Apple's invention?

Probably?

Yet Xerox PARC is still sitting in a basement.