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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Apple is seeking an injunction against Samsung to block the sale of the Galaxy S III in the United States. After spending some time with the nearly identical international version of the GS3, Apple has decided that the phone falls neatly under the umbrella of a patent infringement suit targeting another Samsung device, the Galaxy Nexus. Among the items Apple believes infringe upon their intellectual property are Samsung’s S Voice app and basic functionality like tapping a phone number to launch the handset’s dialer app.
Apple has already largely responsible for a US customs investigation that caused the delayed launch of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE and has filed another complaint in an attempt to ban the sale of the new HTC phones altogether. Now Samsung is being targeted with the release of the Galaxy S III looming at the end of the month. Samsung, however, is not worried. They believe Apple’s case is without merit and will proceed with the US launch of the phone as planned.
[via TechCrunch, Reuters]
Wow, didn’t see that coming. /s
I don’t normally get involved too much in the android vs apple drama, but this puts my nerd rage at level 10.
I knew this was coming. Rather than innovate they rather sue the competition. If this gets between me and my Pebble White Galaxy S III I just might smash an Apple Store.
This is really starting to get old. Every time the launch of the latest and greatest Android phone nears, Apple starts throwing their weight around.
While it is possible that they have a legit gripe, they come off more as a whiny company that does not like the idea of something better than their own product being released.
Somebody better call the wahhmbulance over to cupertino.
Does apple realize that banning certain models is NOT going to somehow win over android fans… There’s plenty more androids to chose from Apple…
Not if Apple gets their way. :(
baby_apple_in_diapers_crying.gif
I understand that patent laws protect small, innovative companies from being ripped off but how does tapping a phone number get a patent? Maybe more focus needs to be on what actually warrants a patent.
I think the more Apple keeps using this patent, the more those afflicted by it will band together and make a move to have it thrown out due to it being too general of a concept. One can hope anyway.
Exactly. By that logic, automakers should be suing each other for push button ignitions, power windows, automatic headlights……..
Because other companies are not whinny bitches like apple.
If Apple spend as much time and money innovating new technologies as they do suing, they wouldn’t need to worry about these lawsuits. Because no one would be near them technologically.
They use other companies’ parts, they didn’t make anything, just good marketing,
I’m pretty sick of apple and their lawsuits. apple definitely has taken on the persona of someone with penis envy. grow up apple and stop being so afraid of competition.
More Apple douchbaggery. This is just sad.
“Douchbaggery” … That’s funny! … Yet true.
This is so childish. Apple grow up. Do you really think these manufacturers are going to make products that infringe on your patents because they know you and your lawyers are standing by. Make a better products that doesn’t have a screen any bigger than a pocket watch and I might buy one. My wife even thinks the iPhone has too small of a screen!
Apple: you are number 2 now get over it
S-voice app is based on a voice recognition software that is open source which by the way apple uses themselves on Siri. Apple has no grounds on that patent dispute. I wouldn’t be surprised if apple tries to Sue Samsung for the eye detection technology too. This Galaxy S 3 has become a real threat to them. I believe Samsung will win cause the phone design is nothing like apple compared to the first galaxy S which is long gone. I would say apple should get it together and spend more money on R&D instead of trolling cause other manufacturers are making better products.
Apple is not complaining about the voice-recognition part of the software, but about data processing (the unified search).
I hate to say it, but when S-Voice was announced, it really looked like a Siri clone to me.
I’d really like these patent wars to stop, but Samsung gave a rod for their own back.
And google voice search was out LONG before Siri. Google Voice Search was originally an iPhone app. So Siri is copying the basic concept of GVS. S-Voice is just improving on a Google product like Apple did.
But they don’t improve it too well though :-)
I never used Siri (and I’m sure that even if I was an iPhone user, I wouldn’t) but it’s pretty clear to me that it’s different from what Android provides, the dialog style was original, and what does S-Voice bring? …dialog.
We, Android users, should quit being as blinded as the ones some of us call “sheep”.
Those patent TROLL thieves at apple are at it again. APPLE IS TRYING TO WIN THE WORST COMPANY OF ALL TIME AWARD. THE CROWN NO LONGER BELONGS TO ELECTRONIC ARTS.
I have to wonder how stupid Apple is. This is really not winning them over any fans from Android or even WinPhone. If anything, people are starting to go out of their way to NOT buy iPhone because of this nonsense. In fact, I’ve heard that from quite a number of current and former iPhone users. They are losing customers because of this patent nonsense.
I dont think many people outside of the tech blog sphere will know or care about this.
What you are saying can only be reserved for those that read up on what apple is doing because there are a plethora of consumers out there that are still snapping up iphones because it is stylish, or because they had enough of android because of buggy experience (five of my friends switched because of this) or because it is an iPhone.
I’m one of them, a former iPhone customer who will never be getting another one because this stuff makes me sick.
I’m in the legal field. Specifically, I work in the patent area. While I hate apple, I get it. The HAVE to sue, because if they don’t, and the S3 actually does infringe, then apple could lose that patent. If you don’t vigorously defend your patents, you basically lose them (very dumbed down explanation).
I will hate them if my phone is delayed, but they have shareholders to answer to, and are trying to protect their portfolios.
By taking advantage of a broken patent system?
Which system would you prefer them use otherwise? I don’t agree with them at all, and I agree the patent system is broke right now. I will never buy an apple product, I think k their products are terrible. I am only saying I understand why they are doing this, not that I like it.
Like I said above I’m going to be pissed if my S3 is delayed by them
the difference is frivolous lawsuits clogging up the system at the taxpayer’s expense. Apple lawyers are throwing crap at walls to see what sticks. This is not the way the legal system is supposed to work. They are shopping for judges around the world. They find ones that they believe are sympathetic to their cause. I know because I was in the legal system for a short while too and know how the system works.
As much as I hate to say it, you are exactly right. The issue is not that Apple is protecting their patents, but rather that the U.S. patent system allows the patenting of ideas rather than of the technology behind it. These patents most likely should never have been issued in the first place.
Oh hell, here we go again… Am I the only one here who wouldn’t mind if Apple were to just go away for good?
Because of crap like this, I shall never purchase another apple product as long as I live.
As much as I love android, apple still gets a lot of my money. Mbp and osx are leaps and bounds better than windows counterparts from my experience, and iPad clearly has the better app experience for now in the tablet world. They got my money for apple tv2 only when xbmc was ported to it. Until I can get the same or better experiences elsewhere they will still get my money in areas besides phones (unless hell freezes over and iOS gets a huge ui refresh beating android). Edit: lol at the downvotes. Hurray for blind fanboyism.
Right after you said you bought Apple TV2 I knew that you have no clue about anything and put you on ignore and blocked any info coming from your IP address and a 2 mile radius around where you live on blacklist.
Lol name me a cheaper, more compact option to run xbmc on. I have it on a shared MySQL database getting content from my main htpc. The atv2 sits on top of my bedroom tv and does the job great. When atv3 is jailbroke I’ll change to that to get 1080p. For $99 it’s great. I don’t use it for the atv interface
Google TV? I’ve heard that it can do the craziest thing, output in full 1080p HD!!!
Google tv for $99 and can run xbmc? Looks like someone fails at reading comprehension. Not to mention compact?
And someone else fails at human relationships.
You can’t just insult everyone over everything, people don’t like to be insulted without any merit behind it.
Considering your sarcastic tone in your previous reply I would say it would carry merit. Had you worded it in a non sarcastic way you would have been met with a far more civil response.
This is an Android fan site. If it is Apple related it sucks no matter what. If it is Android related it is already awesome before anyone knows anything about it. That’s just how it goes.
Oh I know. It’s just funny. The device that gives me what I want will get my money. I know this is an android site but even the most devout android follower can concede the tablet specific apps for android suck compared to iPad. I want to love android tablets but after playing with both iPad was the winner for now. I use my tablet for apps not to put widgets on my screen. When android develops high quality tablet specific (not blown up phone apps) apps that meet or beat the competition I have no problem jumping ship.
Wrong. Android fans are the most critical consumers around. When a manufacturer makes a mis-step, we howl about if from the roofs, eg> soldered in battery HTC One X, Motorola bootloader shenanigans, Samsung smooth plastics. We criticise anyone and anything, and deservedly so. Why should Apple get a free pass? No Android manufacturer does.
Correct me if i’m wrong but as far as i know Apple TV requires network access while Samsung’s All Share (wifi direct) mirrors the content from your (Samsung) device without needing a password for the network. I think Samsung’s method is much more suited for business use. As well as home use :-)
PS Silly comment on the “downvote”. You deserve from me but i won’t give it
Yes they need to protect the technology patents they stole from others. IF LG patented the PRADA Their STUPID IPHONE WOULDNT EVEN EXIST! DAMN LG YOU COULD ELIMINATED THEM FOR GOOD! HORRIBLE MOVE!
If the Prada and the iPhone were the same, prior art would have prevented Apple to have their patents granted.
lol, the patent office doesn’t look up every product in existence to see if a new patent would be similar. They grant nearly every patent they get (especially from big companies) and let the courts decide if they’re valid or not. Prior art is only usable as a defense in court against a bogus patent lawsuit. In other words, because the Prada wasn’t patented as carefully as the iPhone, they couldn’t sue Apple because there’s no patent to sue over. However, if Apple sued against the Prada, then they can use prior art as a defense.
You both have a simplistic and naive view of things.
Do you really believe that Apple is the only company that fully protects its products and IP?
If the patent office just granted every patent filed, the patenting process would be a lot faster (do you think they have to look up every product in existence? Would you? Come on…).
“US Patent Office – Examination of Patent Applications
An examination of a patent application consists of:
– a study of the patent application for compliance with all legal requirements.
– a prior art search through United States patents, foreign patent documents, and available literature, to see if the claimed invention is new, useful and nonobvious.”
First of all, I said that they grant nearly every patent filed, not that they “just” grant “every” patent. Please don’t change my words into a convenient straw man. And yes, while they do search other patents, that only strengthens my point that the existence of a nearly identical product (the Prada in this case) doesn’t prevent the formation of a patent (the iPhone). The fact of the matter is that the patent application process is not where prior art usually comes into play. It often happens in the courts long after a patent is awarded. If the patent office were to even go as far as google searching the details of their applications, then we wouldn’t be seeing nearly as many patents being invalidated due to prior art. If a product isn’t patented properly, it’s very rarely used as a reason for denial of a similar product’s patent. However, it’s very often used in the courts to invalidate a patent that was granted through the current failure of a patent office.
“The fact of the matter is that the patent application process is not where prior art usually comes into play. […] However, it’s very often used in the courts to invalidate a patent.”
Prior art “comes into play” during E-V-E-R-Y patent application examination, and please tell me how many times a month do you hear about a patent actually invalidated by courts, I’d love to spend hours reading the news you could give me links to (and while you’re at it, give me your definition of “usually” and “often”).
You don’t just patent a phone… that means nothing.
Patent applications are much more detailed, and if all iPhone patents were not legit because of the Prada, it would already have been invalidated.
Maybe could you quit being as blinded as some Apple fanatics and start considering that: 1- the two devices are not that identical; 2- people working in patent offices are professionals.
The negative PR alone makes this one of apples worst moves yet
I think the tipping point of public tolerance for.this company has been reached. They are so obvious in what they’re doing here. I dont think even the biased tech media can dig them out i
! Funny how that liar Tim Cook just said he hated litigation, too.
My original Droid you could click on phone numbers and launch the dialer. Why is this suddenly an issue? Other than apple trying to banish anything that’s better than the iPhone
Well their plan obviously worked. I’m going to go get an iPhone today! (sarcasm)
I’m not sure what they are trying to get at. I’m still going to buy a new android no matter what they do.
Not surprised they are going after S Voice, I was shocked how Siri looking it is on my S3. When I compared it with my iPhone visually it is a complete rip off.
it has nothing to do with the UI. read.
This is a non issue as far as I can remember whenever I clicked a number it directed to to the dialer. If your Droid doesn’t your way over due for an upgrade. The other “infringement” lol s voice please these phones also have had this feature for sometime now perhaps not as sophisticated but definitely not new …. Fail Apple Fail I Tunes …YOU WANT TO WIN OPEN UP THE DEVICE. Although it might be too late with so many different high end android devices to choose from ….hahahaha
IMHO, it just shows , since the passing of Apple guru, they are tapped of new ideas , technology , and true leadership. This is the beginning of the great finale of Apple. Like it or not.
well, that may be, however, Steve Jobs was still holding the reigns when they were going full bore patent trolling.
Other than copying the original iPhone design, Apple hasn’t “innovated” squat in the last 8 or so years the iPhone has been released
Apple is now claiming that SGS3 copied their voice recognition app Siri. Funny stuff, Voice app has been on Android since day one. Apple is pathetic. They are raping instead of innovating. Truly sad company that has lost it’s edge. They need to change some bodies in that company, they are turning into laughing stock of the Mobile communication business. They have moved to the US Court House Stairs to save on lawyer transportation. This is total crap and all Apple sheep line up for the slaughter. How can anyone support a company that pays pattern trolling and instead of innovating they are raping. I will never buy another Apple product, this also includes my family and anyone else I can communicate my feelings to.
If anything, it’s Google that should be suing Apple for voice recognition on a Smart Phone.
Go apple!
If you have enough money to bribe courts any patents will be granted. Who invited the Apple fanboy trolls?
All voice recognition apps suck anyway so far. And Siri means ass in Japanese. Which is what people who buy phones for voice recognition are. Just a cheap gimmick. Gps is most important voice feature for me and android has the best.
I will say it i love apple’s computers and laptops and will always will buy them over windows. As far as the iPad i am still evsluating it’s redundancy for i can do everything it does on a smartphone. Now as for the iPhone, i do like it however androud phones are just more capable than the iPhone since day one. Only thing that is better on iPhone is iTunes. But mostly my sentiments are with people over Apple’s Tom Cruise tactics. Spend the money on making the iPhone up to snuff in terms of specs, and make the damn thing more customizable, and multi-tasking capable. Apple should look to what makes the interface of their computers great and bring it to the mobile platform. They have a great arsenal under their sleeve and they aren’t using it. If they stop suing and the next iPhone proves greater than the android super phones, then more people who is in the loop on all this will respect you more.
Let me start by saying I’m 100% pro android and completely against the evil company Apple. Honestly though, what did you all expect? I was more than excited for the announcement of the GSIII. Which followed by me being completely disappointed. It is a blatant rip off of Apple with direct regard to “S-voice.” Everyone keeps saying apple needs to innovate, shouldn’t we be saying that about Samsung and their GSIII? After watching the release all I saw was a phone I no longer desired and a phone my girlfriend will get. I love my gnex and android as a whole but come on guys, this legal battle isn’t unwarranted.
Are you saying only Apple is allowed to have a voice command system?
lol I still get my Samsung phone one way or another
I am not sure that question deserves much of a response. Apple started Siri and Samsung advanced it,then called it Svoice. Apple showed more innovation.
You do know Apple purchased Siri, they didn’t develop it.
Android had voice tools way before Apple, then Apple baught Siri, and intigrated it into iOS… They innovated nothing.
Apple is the new monster cable
Another
Pathetic
Patent
Lawsuit
Emerges
I see what you did there
Android…hurry up and patent the larger screen sizes so Apple has to keep their iphone at 3.5″ which happens to be the size of their you know what!
Oh, you silly goose:) ‘Android’ doesn’t manufacture smartphone hardware and thus cannot patent anything hardware related *i.e. The same way iOS/Symbian/Windows Phone/Web OS cannot patent something because they are digital concepts not corporate entities*.(by the way ‘Android’ isn’t a single company either…but you knew that,right?)
Uhhh…. well considering apple doesn’t manufacture half of the things they patented, I guess you have a pretty solid argument there.
Wait, what?
Haha fair point. Apple doesn’t manufacture all their ‘things’. They may design said things and piece them all together themselves but indeed they do not directly manufacture. However,improper use of terminology aside,saying Android should patent something is like saying “iOS hould hurry up and patent…” Or perhaps the gentleman meant to say that all Android OEMs,and Nokia should band together and patent the ‘larger screen’
Wait,what?
Apple uses Samsung screens. The nerve of them to be trying to ban Samsung.
I know,I know but Samsung isn’t granting a favour to Apple. They’re PAYING Samsung millions upon millions of dollars to manufacture for them,they could just stop if they so wanted. and then they would BOTH lose out.However, yes it’s indeed very,very ironic.
Google has a patent for the notification bar. =.D
Apple are like the playground bully… I don’t understand how people willingly support a company that acts so badly. Competition is good, and it get’s the consumer better produkts, but Apple wont have any of that! Oh no, they want you to buy their overpriced crap (not that all their products are crap, but they are overpriced), and when something that is clearly better comes along, they lash out, like a baby. Someone should start a “buy the gs3, just to piss Apple off” campain! lol
Isn’t this how Skynet started?
I would really like to see people saying that Apple is an innovation company when all they’ve done in the past few years is bully companies around with lawyers and patents, usually with ridiculous things like a rectangular shaped slab phone or the name of the Apps store, the next thing we’ll see is them suing a company for using their cell phones to make phone calls….
Oh wait, no, they specialize in dropping calls…
Even if Apple makes quality tech, it’s moves like this that will keep me from buying Apple products.
I wonder what our friendly counterparts over on the Apple fan sites have to say in their articles about these Apple law suits? They can’t seriously be supporting it, even if it is Apple. They must be typing out comments to say how ridiculous Apple is getting, at the very least.
I’ve been wondering the same thing, so I chose four iPhone /Apple blogs for my Pulse reader. Disappointingly, I found no articles seeming to pertain to Android or lawsuits.
Apple knows it’s about to go extinct.
Extinct? Lmao you must be high, let’s their 4S is the most sold individual phone on the planet, their revenue continues to go up, they have more cash money than the US treasury, and their about to be extinct? Stop smoking that bad weed! Lmao
You’ll see, in 10 years Apple will be a relic.
Apple is getting scared, but to delay the S3 is a strategically bad move. It will then launch closer to the sane time as the iPhone 5 which makes it for both parties more competitive, bit out could mean that the anticipation for the So will get strengthened, which is bad for Apple. If there is a longer delay, chances are that Samsung will send an upgraded version to the US to compete more head on with the iPhone 5. It didn’t take Samsung long to upgrade the ram to 2gb, doubt it will take them longer to upgrade other parts either. Maybe the announced Exyos based on A15 ARM architecture. Apple think again, and think different.
Apple needs to get out of grade school and get on track for a better future. Everyone wants to talk innovation, All that apple did is put the name siri on there version of voice recognition. Same as android did with google search, and like samsung is doing with svoice. They need to get the fuck over it. You don’t see tv manufacturers suein each other because samsung is mad at Sony because there menu button on there remote looks similar to there own. It’s just childish games an apple needs to realize that they can and will not be the only phone manufacturer in the world. That is called communism and those communist bastards need to shut the fuck up. I think when it all comes down to it customers aren’t stupid and will realize all the nasty tactics apple does to try to make their product look better in the eyes of the consumer. But for those consumers that are that naive not to actually figure out the facts before dropping 600 dollars on a device shame on them they deserve the iphone.
stop attacking with patents, put more time and release the new iphone already!!!
I wonder what the carriers think of this approach by Apple. Can’t imagine any of the carriers are happy about Apple pulling products off of their shelves.
Especially when thousands have already pre-sold.
I see a huge marketing opportunity – Get the Phone that Apple is so afraid of, that it tried to ban it’s sale…
This is all BS. I had Nokia touch screen before, and they have this same damn feature. Did they copy from rotten Apple or the rotten Apple copied from them and call it their? The patent department is the most dumbest department on earth. I read the patent that rotten Apple filed on this, I don’t see how this is can be patented. It’s plain stupid.
Apple Keeps its users in the dark painting itself out to be an angel. At least android forums tell of both the successes and failings of Android. Apple patents all the stuff other companies make and failings to patent. That would make it a patent TROLL. Android makers need to wise up and patent everything no matter how frivolous. Apple is afraid if isheep try and like other products better they might leave the fold. It’s all about mind control. Apple is the only phone i know that is like a religion.
Apple will never go out of business because the computer illiterate outnumber the computer literature and they as much as I hate their guts are marketing geniuses. Like used car salesman. THERES A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE! They dupe the general uninformed public into buying their products which in my opinion are just as good as other products. Sometimes the other products are better. But they have great advertising. The iecosystem really irritates me. And I wouldn’t have give Apple a second thought in the pass but when they infringe on my freedom of choice to buy other products I started to hate their guts.
Right but everything has a maker just like yourself. In the case of Android Samsung HTC googlerolla. I guess I shouldn’t answer anyone stupid according their own stupidity. Takes one to know one. The makers can patent the hardware. The software is open source not like the imprisoned of products. Open source software is innovative and inspires development so everyone can benefit.
Typo iprison
True Foxconn in China does. And I remember reports of horrible factory conditions. Some workers threatened suicide. So they flew Tim Cook over there raised wages supposedly improved conditions to keep apples public image intact.
Actually so many employees have commuted suicide by jumping off of the foxconn building that they installed nets to catch the jumpers.
The SIII is inspired by nature, and there’s no stopping nature.
Lmfao Apple hates competition so sue it.
The funny part is that Apple pretty much stole the idea for the original Mac from Xerox.
All tech companies steal from each other since the dawn of time. But they don’t usually claim they created what they stole except for the bitten fruit company. It also Has gotten patents approved for those things it didn’t create. Making it the biggest hypocrite. If they keep HTC and Samsung products out of the country they won’t have to compete with them.
As in the Southpark episode , sign with Apple , be transformed into the Humancentipad
Oh my gosh!! This is hilarious. Oh your S-Voice looks just lyk ours, so wii demand it be banned. Apple needs to shut up.
All these Apple lawsuits are the early pangs of a dying company.
its standard to say there case no merit….. but the courts will decide. It would be legal suicide to be sued…and to agree with the person suing you, saying it has no merit is obvious. This is also business, what people forget is that samsung…moto/google are suing and trying to get the same thing..but unlike apple and microsoft… they are using standard essential patents which will come back and bite them…samsung and google are both under investigation because of that. So get the fanboy crap out of your head and think objectively. Ok now back to using my HTC android phone
They need to start charging apple or fining them if they lose a lawsuit. If they win then fine but they lose more then they win and should pay for wasting the courts time this would hopefully make them stop stupid lawsuits
I do not know what to say… Speechless honestly. Apple should use the money for a better R&D. Be competitive not whining! Seriously, nothing else to do? Do some charity for goodness sake
Can bell sue apple for infringing on the idea of a phone. That would set them straight. USA is going down the toilette with all these FRIVOLOUS patent lawsuits.
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