How is banning a product that might possibly be in violation of an absurd law be in anyones best interest other than Apple's? Patent laws were intended to benefit consumers, not predatory capitalists.
Patents can't be justified on the basis of consumer benefit. While it's true that some consumers benefit from patents, they're not the sole (or even primary) beneficiary: the patent holders are.
Patents are justified because an individual has the right to the product of his mind [and his body (labor); in reality, there is no difference, but I'm emphasizing the mind here because the context is IP]. This is because survival as a human being (whether alone or in a group) requires thought in order to make the things needed to sustain a flourishing life. This is damned hard work!
Copying the product of someone else's thought (not the same as emulating another person's method of thought, and applying it to a new situation) deprives the originator of what is rightfully theirs: the untrammeled market for their innovation, which would not exist were it not for their thoughts and action.
(And no, not every idea is patentable, and not every patent applied for should be granted. No, patents can't last forever. But those are comparatively minor details that are incomprehensible if the fundamental idea stated above is not understood.)
