By Last week we cringed to learn that Apple had dragged the Galaxy Nexus into their latest round of litigation against Samsung, this time going after the phone for violating a slide-to-unlock patent. It now seems that those reports originating at the FOSS Patents blog were false. A Samsung exec speaking to the Korea Herald says the Galaxy Nexus is no where to be found among the list of devices being targeted in Apple’s latest patent spat. “We’re aware that there was a hearing involving Apple’s slide-to-unlock feature after our patent infringement case last Friday and a series of products in the Galaxy lineup were accused there,” the unnamed executive stated, “but what we’ve discovered is that the Galaxy Nexus wasn’t one of them.”
While we wouldn’t put much past Apple when it comes suing the pants off of their competition, we found the original claims hard to believe, as written in our original article. Though the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0 feature a method of unlocking the device by sliding an icon from the locked to unlocked position, the overall appearance and functionality is fundamentally different from Apple’s design. Google has included the ability to slide to the right to jump directly to camera mode, something lacking from Apple’s version.
Still, other Galaxy devices, those using Samsung’s custom interface and older versions of the Android software, are under fire for potentially violating Apple’s patent. We are beginning to think Apple really won’t call it quits until Android has been eradicated from this earth, and since we don’t see that day coming any time soon expect to hear about their next lawsuit any time now.
[via AndroidCentral]
hey…with 100B in cash…Apple can afford to spend it willy nilly on the slightest things that could help it get the edge.
The Galaxy S (at least the AT&T variant) has a different-looking slide to unlock feature too. You can press anywhere on the screen to initiate the slide to unlock.
They all do that.
not the iphone, it’s a very precise starting and ending place.
Read his comment then read mine.
My galaxy w got an update changing the lock screen behaviour. You slide your finger from a point outside a circle. I actually didn’t like the previous way. This is faster and better.
Slide to the LEFT for camera. Lol
I’m pretty sure you slide to the LEFT to open the camera app in ICS.
Ignore me!
Why do you guys insist on using Florian Mueller as a source? He doesn’t seem to be very reliable.
Anytime I see the words “Foss Patents” in an article, I know I should just skip that story. That guy drives me nuts.
It’s Florian Microsoft. :-)
I have complained about using Florian Microsoft or FOSS Patents previously. Obviously I missed that the previous article cited that source. I’ve seen a surprising amount of support here stating that Microsoft should defend their patented “technology” no matter how trivial or frivolous it is.
Florian calls his blog FOSS patents. But he’s anything but friendly to FOSS in general or Linux in particular. With friends like Florian, who needs enemies.
My GS II used to unlock by sliding a middle finger up over a picture of Steve Jobs, but it recently got an OTA update, now it’s a picture of Tim Cook.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha lol
http://i44.tinypic.com/149tufp.png
Please, quit whinning!!!!! geez!
http://tinypic.com/r/149tufp/5
With all these lawsuits, there should be larger repercussions for failed lawsuits. Like damages and court costs in the % of cash on hand (jk, that’d be ridiculous) if you submit a lawsuit and it gets thrown out. Companies would be way less likely to submit bogus complaints like this…
Because the repercussions aren’t as dire as they should be, Apple, with their 100 Billion in cash, feels free to hammer at lesser companies because no matter how many cases, no matter how much they pay their lawyers, its always going to hurt the defendant more.
Get a temporary ban on the Galaxy Tab? Even if its lifted later, Samsung lost weeks of possible sales for nothing while Apple profited. That is entirely unfair. I can’t complain but so much because it didn’t happen in the US but still.
right, I’m just saying things need to hurt the company on the offensive more, because right now it is just absolutely ridiculous.
What about sales Apple lost due to Samsung stealing the look of their product? I don’t care what side of the Android-iOS divide you sit on, but creating market confusion with products that look too similar is a bullshit move. Samsung can do better than that.
Do you really think that the galaxy tabs created market confusion?
yes, because soo many people bought a device that says SAMSUNG right on the front of it thinking it was a limited edition 16:9 aspect ratio Apple iPad…. made by Samsung…. Running Android……
Damn it. I bought a Westinghouse tv thinking it was a freaking Sony Bravia. Why do all TVs have to look like…..TVs?………. o_O?
You sure about that?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57365978-248/motorola-sues-apple-over-iphone-4s-icloud/
IMO, there should be a law in place that says, there will be some massive fee charged to the plaintiff and paid to the defendant if an injunction request is granted and later overturned (since they would only be overturned in the case the suit is dropped). That would probably stop Apple from trying that shit when they watch their 100 Billion slowly dwindle because their wasting it all.
It’s true that samsung has made there phones similar but who cares? Apple took the drag down notification bar! All companies take little parts from one another. At least the didn’t call there phones the Sphone or something
If apple doesnt want to quit until android goes down, it’s in a lot of trouble. It does not have enough money to compete with the android world in court. Lets see who supports android.. Google, Samsung…. list goes on and on. DIE APPLE DIE
As long as people insist in using Florian Mueller as a source of information the FUD will spread.
When I saw that article and knew it came from him I stopped reading immediately.
I find it ironic is trying to be the oppressive 1984 style dictator of the smartphone world that they made fun of in the 80s. Someone needs to throw a hammer into the big Apple video screen. :D
Well if Samsung updates their phones to ICS then they should be in the clear as long as they don’t use a custom lockscreen and just use the one included and maybe tweak it just a little. I don’t foresee this being too big of a problem.
Yeah, hard to believe that Florian Müeller, a known astroturfer, would just flat out get the facts wrong. The guy is not a legitimate source. He has a very clear agenda, which is to promote a ridiculously expansive view of IP so as to bolster public perception of his clients. He did this on behalf on Microsoft as he weighed in on SCO.
hmmm why no lawsuit until now?Apple must be really scared of Samsung….Galaxy S line kicks ass
plus for the Galaxy S series its “SLIDE ANYWHERE TO UNLOCK” noobass apple should actually use one before suing, idiots you’d finally realise that there are better smartphones then apples offering.
Even if Apple wanted to sue for the slide to unlock found in the galaxy nexus, wouldn’t that be a suit filed against google, not Samsung? Sure, Samsung built the phone but it is a google phone, hence the term “Nexus”. Either way, apple is guilty in everything they sue others for. Next patent they’ll try to get will be the drop down menu, then they will again sue Samsung, HTC and so fourth. Either way, apple is at the to of their mountain, they will not climb any higher. Without jobs they will ride out the iPhone/iPad train until it losses steam. Though jobs wasn’t the inventor people make him out to be, he seemed to always know the next big thing and kept apple a step ahead of most of the competition. Now its about getting free money. Without him it is a dying company.
So should apple adapt android for the iphone? :)
Apple should just enjoy a healthy competitive relationship with Android. If it weren’t for Apple, Android wouldn’t be pressed to keep improving. But that goes vice versa, if it weren’t for Android, the iPhone wouldn’t be forced to improve either. Both are making billions in revenue, and they should just enjoy what they have. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions trying to fight needless battles in the courtroom. Mind you that non of these battles, including the ones that Apple has won, have made a single penny in return. It is a waste of time and money, and the investors will eventually shy away from the company. They have their patents but 90% of their lawsuits have little to no backing when it comes to infringement.
Even if Apple wanted to sue for the slide to unlock found in the galaxy nexus, wouldn’t that be a suit filed against google, not Samsung? Sure, Samsung built the phone but it is a google phone, hence the term “Nexus”. Either way, apple is guilty in everything they sue others for. Next patent they’ll try to get will be the drop down menu, then they will again sue Samsung, HTC and so fourth. Either way, apple is at the to of their mountain, they will not climb any higher. Without jobs they will ride out the iPhone/iPad train until it losses steam. Though jobs wasn’t the inventor people make him out to be, he seemed to always know the next big thing and kept apple a step ahead of most of the competition. Now its about getting free money. Without him it is a dying company.
I think it’s silly how much litigation is involved in each of these so called IP cases. I think it is a horrific insult to true IP protection when companies start to use IP to stop other’s from innovating and can only be bad for everyone involved, including those bringing the suits.
In other news:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57365978-248/motorola-sues-apple-over-iphone-4s-icloud/
Motorola sues Apple over iPhone 4S, iCloud
i think samsung should release a cluod service and call it the S-cloud
Alright, this is crazy! APPLE needs to grow up. They don’t make the best phone in the world. There will always be compitition. The android OS will always be superior, even Steve Wozniak thinks so. And if Motorola wanted too they could use there patents portfolio and Sue apple out of business!! Motorola has been in the communication technology business a he’ll of a lot longer than Apple. Heck they invented the cellphone. Apple better stop worrieing about sueing, and better start inovatiing. The Droid Razr and the Galaxy Nexus smoke past anything Apple Has.
BRIAN.