Steve Jobs considered Android "grand theft" of iPhone ideas

According to the latest excerpt from Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs, HTC's introduction of what Apple considered iPhone-live made Jobs "livid" and were equated with "grand theft".

"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," Jobs said. "I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this."

Jobs reportedly told then Google CEO and former Apple board member, Eric Schmidt:

"I don't want your money. If you offer me $5 billion, I won't want it. I've got plenty of money. I want you to stop using our ideas in Android, that's all I want."

The issue is still unresolved and Apple has filed high profile patent infringement suits against a variety of Android ODM's, including HTC, Motorola, and Samsung.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is available for pre-order now, and it wouldn't surprise me if we got more fiery - and marketable -- excerpts as the release draws near.

Source: AP

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.