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Apple was just approved 21 patents today from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Wait- before you check your URL, yes you are on Phandroid.com. If you were thinking, “What is this Apple $#@%&@*#?” Well, my friend — that’s because some of these newly acquired patents could become a potential problem for Android and her manufacturers. Lets take a look at a few of these patents Apple just got their hands on.
Apparently, an “integrated touchscreen” is an innovation that Apple now owns. Now, I don’t know about you but last time I checked, I’m pretty sure my phone had an integrated touchscreen. Well, sort of. This particular patent describes a new kind of technology that would merge touch-sensing components and a display panel into a single unit. Currently, they are separate pieces. This new tech would provide touch screens that are thinner, brighter, more power efficient and cost effective. Sounds like something Samsung would use in their future Super AMOLED Plus displays (and I could have sworn, was already using?).
What else was Apple able to dig their claws into? Well, they finally acquired a patent they submitted way back in ’07 that describes an interface and method for streamlining the voicemail experience by eliminating complex navigations and unnecessary buttons. Although vague, this pretty much sounds like the voicemail app I’m currently using on my Evo 3D right now.
Apple has been a very busy boy lately suing the pants off of OEM’s and acquiring new patents to use on the offensive. While I used to think I could simply ignore Apple and avoid their products it seems I was being naive. Apple seems hell-bent on destroying their opposition and these newly acquired patents can do nothing but help their cause.
[Via Electronista]
Two great photos of the Jobs! Can’t the creator of the first tablet just sue Apple and end this stuff? Suck it Jobs!
The fact that Apple is using patents to face competition is pissing me off
I kinda hope they sue wp7 :x, lol
To be clear, Apple was using innovation to face the competition — they’re using patents to face the copycats.
“Face the copycats?” Apple didn’t invent the smartphone or tablet.
why though? Aren’t they already the copy cat of the year by copying EVERYTHING they could including their on app defs with the latest iOS 5?
Apple hasn’t innovated a damn thing.
This country needs patent reform!
Don’t worry, it’s coming very soon. At least there is a bill on the table.
Really? Awesome!
Don’t know much about government and how it works, do you? ;-) If you think for one minute those suits up on Capitol Hill are going to do what’s in the best interest of this country rather than what’s in the best interest of their own pocketbooks, I’ve got a bridge in Russia to sell you. Patent “reform” will happen, have no doubt. But the patent reform we are asking for and the patent reform that makes it through congress will be 2 VERY different animals. One of which would have solved much of this quagmire while the other will solve much of nothing.
Pay attention to this comment above. You know who has more lobbyists in Capitol Hill right now than most any other tech company? Do I have to say it? Apple. Just ask your sitting Congressman/Congresswoman for a copy of the current registered lobbyist list. They will supply you with one. Then look at who they lobby for. You might be surprised.
By the way… It’s an incredibly long list!
Can’t innovate anymore, so lets gobble up all the patents, sit back and collect the royalties instead.
If they can prove they have the patent for it, they can use other companies tech. without paying royalties and without having to develop it themselves. I think this is what Apple is trying to do with Samsung and all the other bs lawsuits. It’s cheaper to sue than r&d and pay royalties.
Can’t innovate anymore? If other companies would “innovate” they would have nothing to fear as they would not be in violation of the patents.
You ought to read up on some of these “patents” being paraded around in lawsuits. They are patents that should have never been granted in the first place. I think it’s funny that the company that “innovated” so many years ago hasn’t done anything new in 5 years and is now resorting to lawsuits when someone puts out a product that resembles theirs instead of continuing to do what they were good at and … wait for it … innovating.
Why don’t you tell me what innovation Samsung has done with the Galaxy Tab? What about the Galaxy phones? Every company will try to protect their market share and IP. This is not exclusive to Apple.
Apple isn’t innovating? LOL. They were almost bankrupt 14 years ago, and at one point today, they were the most valuable public company in the entire world. Obviously a hell of a lot people disagree with your opinion.
Apple borrows ideas. Every single one of their products have borrowed from others that came before starting from the iPod. The iPhone borrowed from Palm and the Prada. Compaq made the worlds first hd mp3 player in 2001 BEFORE the iPod. Itunes was NOT the first music store. There were tablets BEFORE the iPad which is simply a stretched iPod touch – where’s the innovation again?
What Apple did and I will gladly give them credit for it – is reinvigorated these markets through it’s brand recognition, nice shiny outer appearance and clever marketing.
LOL yeah… 65 billion in revenue last year because of a shiny outer appearance and marketing.
They should have basic education tests before they let people post crap like that on the internet.
@wakkoman
Yes SHINY OUTER APPEARANCE AND MARKETING.
I say that because their products do NOTHING better than the competition when looked at objectively.
My Galaxy TAB defecates on the iPad.
Only the uneducated and impressionable are truly impressed with Apple’s products and fortunately for Apple there are A LOT of them around still willing to pay more for the illusion of a ‘better’ product.
Samsung knows a nice shiny outer casing can help the bottom end hence the reason their designs are close. Even the biggest idiots can tell the difference between an Apple product and one by Samsung.
If image wasn’t such an issue Apple wouldn’t be filing injunctions.
But Palm borrowed from the Newton. Remember the Newton? The first real PDA (a term coined at Apple) launched back in 1993, and based on a project started in the mid-80s).
Sure, they are all standing on the shoulders of giants. The difference is, Apple either created their own IP, leveraged open source projects, or licensed it from other organizations.
Samsung (as well as Motorola, HTC, and others) got their technology from Goolge, who ripped it off of a number of other hard-working innovative companies, which employ tens of thousands of smart Americans.
Where’s the innovation? Look at Apple’s products. Now look at the one’s you’ve just highlighted. If you can’t see the difference, I can’t explain it to you.
god is in the details.
@disposableidentity
Actually the first PDA called the organizer 2 was made by Psion back in the late 80s.
Google didn’t rip anybody off. They bought Android Inc. and further developed it under an open license. And thanks to them, it is what it is today.
I’m supposed to look at Apple’s products to see the innovation? If shiny smooth outer casings and silver linings are supposed to impress me they failed miserably. Honestly I’ve used and troubleshooted IOS enough to know it’s designed for toddlers and frankly a joke compared to Android. And don’t get me started on the biggest crippleware, buggy, piece of crap software ever invented: iTunes.
in response to what u wrote to john about “basic education tests” ..those should be given to those that actually think that anything apple makes is “innovating”, its at best substandard crap passing as awesome because (YES) its shiny exterior and outrageous price. Android has been way ahead of them in innovation and choice for a long time. it takes someone with low intelligence to equate apple making billions in revenue with supposedly producing a quality product. Theres an old saying that if apple took a brick and put the apple logo on it people would line up for days waiting for it. which is how the isheep act when anything apple comes out, and youre saying we need “education tests” ??!!
Microsoft used to hold that title and look what happened after they stopped innovating and tried to live off of their patents.
And Samsung invented Super AMOLED screens. They mastered the tech to put them in phones as well as the chips to run them which is why Apple used them to make their phones…
Exactly.. Apple uses Samsung screens..Sony camera sensors etc etc…
And in response to wakkoman… Probably you haven’t looked around lately to understand the raw power of marketing and what it can do to societies and economies around the world, let alone to a bunch of people that want to buy a phone or a laptop…Marketing is nearly everything to a company’s profits!! Everyone thinks advertising does not affect them but if you knew how easily your brain can be fooled without you knowing you would be surprised!!
And this does not need a high IQ to understand!! – Just not a too low one though… :-)
Just take a look at the link below…
http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/09/keen-on-what-twitter-is-doing-to-our-brains-tctv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
And FYI, patents are about “inventing” not “innovating”. Apple did not invent the Smart phone, nor the tablet, nor the computer for that matter. They “innovated” to make those products work seamlessly, which I applaud them for, but at no point do they deserve the right to sue someone because they didn’t “invent” them.
They innovatED of course they did!! Noone can deny that! But nowadays they are copying as well and they DO deny it! They still think they are innovating… LOL
Did Samsung claim that she was innovating? If she did maybe not so arrogantly!!
show me ONE product that uses Super AMOLED screen which isn’t Samsung, and show me ONE product that uses PLS display that isn’t Samsung.
Samsung is way ahead of Apple, and Apple is doing ALL it can to slow them down.
Samsung isn’t suing for Patent violations, now are they? They aren’t claiming that they invented the double click, or the right click, or whatever. They’re just putting out a phone using someone else’s OS and making a damn fine piece of equipment.
wakkomna – nothing apple has provided is an innovation. They simply repackage known technologies into iCandy. They make great devices but they aren’t cutting edge, never have been and never will be. The ipod was not the first digital music carrier, the iphone was not the first touchscreen smartphone, and the ipad was not the first tablet computer. Hell, even itunes is not an innovation. Apple is a good company in terms of profit, but they don’t innovate, they repackage, market, and learn how to monetize everything. That shouldn’t be confused with innovation.
LOL. Wow.
Nothing they provide is an innovation? Everything they make is not a repackaged product dude. All the software that runs on their devices is created by them.
iPod was not the first digital music player, but it sure as hell changed the ENTIRE mp3 player market.
iPhone was not the first touchscreen smartphone, but it sure as hell changed the ENTIRE smartphone market.
the iPad is not the first tablet computer, but it sure as hell created an ENTIRELY new market and revived a market that only used to sell to very few people in the business world.
iTunes was not the first digital music store, but it sure as hell changed the ENTIRE digital music download market.
Whether you like him or not, Steve Jobs is a visionary, and Apple have been market makers/changers. They were pioneers in all of these markets I listed above. You can argue who has better products in each market now, but the fact remains that Apple set the new major standards in each of them. Give credit where credit is due. A lot of people believe in this company to continue making quality products, increasing revenue, and earnings.. and have put their money where there mouth is… unlike most of the people that post comments here.
That Apple…bought…
They innovated a few years back, they use their innovations one by one in their products to “rob” people of more profit and now that other companies want to use these innovations in their products to make them better poor little Apple loses their strategic way of gaining huge profits, so they remember that some patents are theirs…”YIkes I had forgotten…This is my patent little Android…Now that you are getting bigger I am going to stop you!”
did burger king innovate their burgers after mcdonalds paved the way, mcdonalds didn’t throw lawsuits cause bk used a bun, beef patty, lettuce and pickles. why doesn’t ford start suing toyota or honda for using round steering wheels, gas engines, & glass windows. do these companies have to pay royalties for every whopper or civic they sell? if it’s the way things are done, that’s how everyone does it. every t-shirt is made in the same shape because that’s how it fits. pepsi & coke have essentially identical flavors in their sodas that all come in identical 12 oz aluminum cans or 20 oz bottles. it’s obvious they are copying off of each other, but the mixture of chemicals/ingredients is different inside. samsung androids look like iphones because that’s the accepted physical format for a phone. the stuff inside is different, even though somethings may looks similar (icons, apps, communication) android and ios are different. they are both fancy smart phones; they are both brown syrup mixed with carbonated water that everyone wants to buy.
A company Has innovated… Android has proven to be a huge leap forward over Apple for the last two years. Both iOS 4 & 5 are updates that bring pre-existing Android features to iphone!!!! How is that innovation?!!!
Dudes, Super AMOLED already has the touch sensor integrated into the screen.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Super_AMOLED
That’s the problem. Apple patent could force Samsung to pay royalties even if Samsung were the ones to institute the technology first.
Copyright is stronger then patent.
Kevin is right, Apple can’t touch Samsung because of the screen that they use, because they invented it.
How is an integrated touchscreen non-obvious?
because that’s not what the patent covers! Read the claims, not the title of th e patent. The claims include very narrow limitations, which distinguish it from other “integrated touchscreen” devices.
This is really getting old. Good lord if they don’t have some kind of patent reform soon, Apple may have a patent on breathing or your heart beating. Everyone will have to pay royalties to Jobs if they want to live.
Well they can legal patent isolated genes. So let’s hope Jobs doens’t go mad and decides to patent cancer, or some other thing, is great business idea.
Patent Reform for what?? To educate the masses who don’t understand how a patent works? The title of a patent does NOT define Apple’s rights. Read the claims, not the title. The title is meaningless. Apple does NOT have a patent on any and all intergrated touch screen devices.
You are correct sir! HP/Palm have that patent & Apple has not paid to use it.
The thing I hate about the majority of these patents is how insanely vague they are and the fact that a lot of times they are simply ideas, not technology that the company actually produced and showed that worked. I’m hoping Google steps up its game major time to acquire as many patents as possible to defend its own. As long as they only use them defensively and not going on the attack unless attacked first, I will be okay.
Check out my new tech blog: Broke Man’s Tech
If it is tech that never produced, then why are you crying?? So, it is okay for Google to acquire patents (your words), but when Apple does this, they are not being fair? By the way, most of the patents that are now being granted were filed for back in 2007. As was said during the introduction. We have patented the heck out of this thing.
seriously dude, you’re starting to sound like a broken record, or at the very least a retarded one. Besides apple cant restrain the use of the tech, its too far spread. Apple is already behind, holding these patents will only get them tons of money, which is the only thing apple makes in droves, they dont make anything of quality and certainly not anything worth the rediculous prices they charge for them. The iclowns (like you) eat this stuff up, but in the end, they cant keep companies from actually using the tech, so pull that purple apple shaped dildo out of your cowardly anonymous ass and STFU.
HUH?
I haven’t found many cases of Google going on the offensive with patents. Every time I read one of these things, its always them or an Android manufacturer receiving flak. It’s also hilarious that it started happening after Android became a success. When the geeks were running around with G1s and the other first Android phones, there wasn’t a single problem with Android but now that it’s actually proving a success and actually a threat, instead of fighting on the product side and benefiting the consumer, they are attempting to get rid of their competition all together.
The day Google starts trying to pull this bullshit with other companies, I will be against their actions as well but right now it’s Apple being evil company.
Also do you know how absurd you sound by saying if the product doesn’t exist, why am I complaining? It’s like me patenting something now that I have no idea how to build but 5 years later someone actually figures out how to do it and me being able to sue them though they did all the work. What kind of half asses system is that?
It is really hard to sue someone for something you have stolen from them. That is why Goog is not suing anyone. Because they cant! When you steal, bad things happen to you!
Honestly why is the government letting this happen? Look at Microsoft. THe government stepped in when MS was trying to be the sole operating system of all the software on the market and the government stepped in and said NO and split the company. Why are they letting Apple do the same thing and try and monopolize the industry and not allow variety to the consumers? I don’t care if the iPhone is the only touch screen phone a year form now I refuse to buy one. I will go back to a flip phone first.
Apple is so full of sh*t. they will never sqeeze a penny out of me!
MS was abusing a monopoly. Apple is inventing things and patenting them.
Very different.
People seem upset that Apple is suing INSTEAD OF innovating, but if we’re being honest we can all see they are doing BOTH. Apple has invented some great new technologies (interface technologies are patentable inventions). Apple was so far out in front of everyone else, and many are now copying their patented IP. Why wouldn’t they sue?
Look at Android before they copied Apple’s UI approach — then look at Android after.
Did you read the article? Have you seen the previews for IOS5? They aren’t inventing anything new, IOS5 is completely copied from Android and now all they’ve done over the last year or 2 is buy patents and try to shut down Samsung because they’re pissed Samsung is beating them in the free market when Apple had the biggest head start in recorded history. Please tell me what they “INVENTED” over the last year and have brought to market. Making something thinner or faster isn’t “inventing”.
I could e-hug you right now!! These are exactly my thoughts!! They are hypocrites that have found a way to brain-wash people (fortunately not all of us)!! They copy everything that they like lately (which I don’t judge because a good artist creates, a great one copies too!) but they don’t acknowledge that AND sue others for copying!!
Just Unacceptable!
Apple has invented the art of fooling and making money out of those fools…
So they are innovating by getting a patent for basically Samsung’s “super amoled plus” screen tech?
apparently you did not read that they applied for the patent in 2007. Super amoled was not out then.
What is exactly Apple’s UI approach?? I am not being 100% ironic..I am wondering sometimes… What is the Apple’s UI? The icon matrix??? I used to own a Sony Ericsson that used an icon matrix.. Where is the copying? The only copying actually I have seen is from Samsung’s TouchWiz, the folder creation and stuff which are the only things I hate using on my GalaxyS2!! That and the fact that there is no way to move the cursor with hardware/touch keys but I have to touch it and move it around like the iphone…lame!
Apple has patented some very specific things. A lot of people are saying that Apple has “patented the tablet” or “patented the touchscreen on a phone” or other nonsense like that.
You have to read beyond the title of the patent and look at the specific methods and technologies that are described in the patents. They’ve patented UI inventions like pinch-to-zoom. Now you can probably argue some of them might be overly broad, but they are certainly not all-encompasing. And honestly no one has been able to point out to me prior art for the specific things described in the patents.
We don’t all need to freak out. Apple certainly can’t shut down every tablet or smartphone maker with these patents — just the ones that are infringing on the inventions described in Apple’s patents.
It’s clear that Apple spent years and millions creating the iPhone and iPad after that. They took the time to stop and consider things no one else had. Remember, with almost unlimited resources and some of the smartest people on the planet Microsoft, RIM, Nokia, Motorola, etc. never came up with anything like an iPhone.
The patent system was designed to incentivize new creations by granting a limited-time monopoly on the invention. Apple completely re-invented the phone the same way Edwin Land re-invented photography, or Edison the lightbulb — and just like Apple, Polaroid didn’t have a “patent on instant photography” and Edison didn’t have a “patent on the lightbulb”, just on their specific invention(s). If we don’t give people an incentive to invest in innovation, why would anyone risk so much?
Would you let a company like Samsung steal something you spent years working on? Or would you go after them?
I agree.a company should protect its research.. but strategies like these to wait when other companies have launched a device with patents of the company just to sue when it could be more damaging or even suicidal for the other one is just foul play…so if pinch to zoom is a patent apple should sue whenever the first ever mobile with pinch to zoom came out..not when an actual threat to iphone4 and probably iphone5 comes out like the galaxys2 or an ipad2 serious opponent like galaxy tab
Are you kidding?
Do you know how long it takes to get a patent drawn up and filed — then granted — then research the potentially infringing products — then brief your legal team — have them make sure you have a solid case — and file your paperwork with the courts?
I have no idea, but I would guess it takes about this long.
We live in a fast-paced world and expect instant everything. Things take time.
I agree it takes time..i am not sure as you for how long but i am not going to be naive and take apple’s word that it took that long..it is a real world and companies stab each other in the back…so no..it is probably strategic to take out the serious competition and the serious threats to their inferior products..
yeah no company came up with iPhone, because only apple makes products for dorks… no flash… are u serious?? my dog’s kennel wall has flash enabled :P and did some one tell me to wear condom on my phone too?? sorry not interested.
How can you say no company thought of anything like the iPhone before Apple?
In 1999 I had a Compaq iPaq that was a touch screen multimedia device that did everything the iPhone does today except make phone calls. about 2 years later, another model of the iPaq was blue tooth enabled and made phone calls and therefore did EVERYTHING the iPhone does today.
Do a Google search and you will see that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a Samsung Creation, follow its lineage and you will see that it is an evolution of previous Samsung tablets that looks like this
2006: Samsung Q1
2007:Samsung Q2 UMPC
2008: Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC
2009: Samsung Q1EX UMPC
2010: Samsung Galaxy Tab
2011: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
The iPad was released in 2010, 4 years after Samsung’s first tablet. If you compare the Q1EX UMPC to the Galaxy Tab they are nearly identical in appearance, then look at the Tab and the Tab 10.1
If I was the Judge, there’s no way I would grant Apple’s request based on the claims their making which is;
– a tablet
– with rounded corners
– and a bezel
Now, as articulate as you can and with FACTS, tell us what Samsung Stole from apple.
A reminder… The patent to the smartphone platform belongs exclusively to HP/Palm. If they ever pull the trigger on that you can bet Apple is target #1. That’s not me saying that by the way. It’s the inventor of the iPod, no it wasn’t a product of the iSteve, Jon Rubenstein. When he left Apple to become CEO of Palm he said as much. Apple would be their first priority to be dealt with.
No, Apple is trying to build a monopoly. The truth is that Android devices have been more innovative (and popular) than iOS devices for nearly two years. You have to jailbreak an iphone to get half of the functionality that Android users get out of the box, and even then… Not as good.
Apple is trying to shut out competition by getting patents on Broad technology that has nothing to do with UI design.
And remember Apple profits are MS profits. Bill/MS invested $150 million that kept apple alive in 1997. The main reason was to short circuit more monopoly law suits by making sure their was another viable OS out there. I doubt he foresaw the changes to come, but a good investment I guess.
Shares which they sold a long, long time ago (at a healthy profit, but nothing like the 8,000% they could have bagged).
all the great technologies you’re giving apple credit for “inventing” were already invented by someone else.
apple did not invent the tablet, the smart phone, mobile apps, a mobile app store. all of these things existed since way back in the 90’s
the real problems is that the success of Android has caught steve jobs with his pants down and he hates that fact that the world prefers Android over iOS.
end the end, its people like you and me–the consumers who will be the real losers.
Android copied apple’s UI?? u apple fanboys are so full of it!!! dont even think before blabbering!
M$ wasn’t split. They were forced to comply with new competitive measures that somewhat leveled the playing field. Minor correction to your comment. ;-)
What words would you add to jobs spelled backwards? Just a matter of time I tell ya. Oh if he gains weight he is a dead ringer for your photo.
On the serious note, these patent tactics indicates Jobs doesn’t have anything else to impress us with. Well for the near future, maybe larger screen multiple cores, more expensive apps not to mention devices. How else will he build his space ship.
fuck apple.
They are ripping off no less than 3 different OS’s in iOS5.
And that should be perfectly okay in my opinion. Apple should be taking the best parts of other operating systems and integrating them into their own … but better. And then MS or Google should take the best parts and improve them for their own systems. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. You know who wins when you have that kind of healthy competition? Ev. er. y. one.
Yes, but Apple is not allowing that to happen, nooo.. they have to go around and call everyone copycats when they themselves copy off others as well. Such hypocrites.
Apple may have taken good ideas from different OSs (as they should), but they didn’t borrow a single patented invention.
That’s the key difference.
apple
Writers of these blog posts need to quit citing to titles of patents when denouncing the obviousness of a patent. The title of a patent is for all practical purposes meaningless. The Apple patent does NOT in anyway shape or form cover all “integrated touchscreen” devices.
Please get educated. Apple’s patent rights are defined by the “claims.” Please read the claims of a patent before making any statement as to the breadth of the patent.
This is pure ignorance. And for the record I am no fan of Apple.
It turns out that ignorance, in this 1 instance, is the exact opposite of bliss.
LOL at this close-minded fool telling people to educate themselves.
wakkoman – umm…please tell me what is so funny here.
This is the broadest claim Apple “owns” with respect to “integrated touchscreen” devices:
“A stackup of a plurality of display pixels, the stackup comprising: a first layer of conductive material; a second layer of conductive material; a third layer of conductive material including first conductive lines in a first direction, each of the first conductive lines including a plurality of first line portions extending through plural display pixels and separated from each other by disconnections; and second conductive lines in a second direction transverse to the first direction, each of the second conductive lines including a plurality of second line portions extending through plural display pixels and separated from each other by disconnections, wherein circuit elements of the display pixels in a first region are electrically connected together in the first direction by a first plurality of the first line portions, the circuit elements of the display pixels in the first region are electrically connected together in the second direction by a first plurality of the second line portions, and a plurality of display pixels disposed along the first direction in the first region are contact pixels that include contact points that electrically connect the circuit elements of each of the contact pixels with a conductive pathway that extends along the first direction from the first region into a second region of display pixels without electrically connecting to circuit elements of display pixels in the second region.”
In order to infringe on this patent, a defendant must carry out ALL of the elements listed above in the order and arrangement listed above. Please tell me how this is overly broad. This is insanely narrow! And it is extremely easy to engineer around.
Part of the problem here is a lot of people (including the author) don’t understand how patent law works. And then just print this nonsensical shock and awe garbage. The reality is this patent was filed by Apple in order to ensure Apple can practice their given technology. This patent is far too narrow to serve as a means to stop another company from using an “integrated touchscreen” device.
Patent law is busted ass broke. It’s so full of waste and corruption that it’s difficult to spit without being sued for patent infringement. Whether this particular patent is narrow enough in your definition is irrelevant to the greater topic at hand. Inability to compete is resulting in the PURCHASE of thousands upon thousands of bogus and overly broad patents for the purpose of stifling other companies in an attempt to maintain or gain marketshare. Period. If you’re pissed off that Samsung or Google are making a product that is outselling yours … do something that makes your product better. If Google comes out with a phone called the iDroid that looks just like an iPhone with a skin that looks just like the iPhone … then sue. Until then, doing what you’re (i.e. Apple) doing only makes you look like a petulant child.
Can you provide one instance where Apple has sued someone with a patent they have purchased?? As far as I read from this article, these patents were filed for back in 2007 by Apple. They were not purchased. Please provide link to information about lawsuits that are pending with patents that have been purchased.
Adam – Apple isn’t suing anyone over the patents cited in this article.
Have you read the patents cited in this article? They are hardly worthless. Apple isn’t a patent troll, they make devices and sell them. Apple filed this patent to ensure they could operate in this space.
As far as the Samsung lawsuit goes, its not a stretch whatsoever to look at the Samsung interface and layout and think “wow, they just copied Apple.” And I’m a droid user. Maybe they did and maybe they didn’t. But it isn’t an outrageous argument.
The problem with this analysis you have, & the provided definition of said patent which I applaud you for, is that patent law is NEVER decided by gov’t. It is always some pseudo-science professor judge or misinformed jury that gets to say yes that’s wrong or that’s right.
Can you tell me the last time that a “Quote-Quote” Patent Law Judge invented something that was patented? How about that all knowing jury?
I served on a jury just a few months ago. The case we had was for drunk driving. The DA tried to convince us that we had to convict based on the driver’s blood alcohol level being .07. Only problem is in this state the law says .08 to be LEGALLY drunk. And most of my fellow jurors were ready to convict & go home?!?!? Technicality? Sure it is. But that is the American legal system where patent cases get decided.
Apologies for going off topic but it’s a prime example of what this discussion is about. We allow courts & juries to decide on billions of dollars, & people’s livelihoods as well, based on absolutely no knowledge of the subject. Just like patent law.
Robert, I agree in part. Yes, a jury or judge make the determination. But its not as though the jury or judge will look at the title of a patent and then conclude that the patent gives Apples all rights to all “integrated touchscreen” devices.
Patent law is very well furrowed out in this area and attorneys are required to argue the elements of the claim.
Those patient can be void because a company like samsung can show that their was prior act. Let see what will happen.
This sums up the whole patent problem:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/when-patents-attack
That is a great story. Everyone should read/listen
Definitely an eye opener into the world of patents. After listening to this broadcast, I did a quick search on the patent site (http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.html) and found that Google has about 700 patents, Apple has 1900, and Microsoft has over 21600 patents. It’s all just a big sad legal game.
Apple became Ann evil company. In the 90s they used to cry that microsoft is evil and abusing their almost monopoly, but even microsoft played nicer and bailed apple out, they shouldn’t have. Seeing how apple slows down progress and has a very dirty agenda. So far android odds growing and I hope that android becomes the next pc / microsoft.
this will come down to one of two things, the government stepping in saying apple has a monopoly on the smartphone industry, which apple is trying to do… or, apple succeeding in taking over the smartphone market, putting an end to all other smartphones, putting millions of people out of work, and causing the market to completely crash.
Im really starting to hate apple.
@nemesys06 , At 30-35% of the smartphone market (far less of the mobile phone market) they are far from a monopoly. But even if they got to 85-95%, there’s nothing inherently illegal with establishing a monopoly position in the market.
The legal issues only start when the monopoly position is abused. And patenting your inventions is not a form of “abuse”.
I look at Android every day. It looks and operates quite differently than iOS. And yes … I’ve used an iPhone and an iPad. They are about as similar in their approach as an XBox and a Playstation are similar.
Then I am sure the patent office will be calling you for your opinion on all these legal matters. You can obviously end all this foolishness with your incredible wisdom.
hmm … this was in reply to an earlier post which is why it may not make much sense in its current context. The point is still relevant however. :-)
Ah yea. Gotta love mr jobs lol. Most greedy sob in the world. This makes me think back to why they created the ipad 2. Stuck a dual core chip in it and made a couple enhancements and HEY! Lets make more money!! Greedy ol apple lol. Fucks
lol then they put a camera in it so low-res its the same as taping an old style polaroid to the back of it.
So upgrading your product is a bad thing?? Better tell all the Android OEM’s this. They release a new phone daily don’t they? Are they all greedy sob’s too? If Android OEM’s did not upgrade, their phones would still look like blackberries.
Yawn, the majority of these will get thrown out. And let’s quit with the Apple stories. If I wanted to read about Apple, I’d check CNN, MSNBC, BBC, ZDNET, ENGADGET, APPLEINSIDER and any one of the other nutswinger websites.
arm chair lawyers at its best ITT lol.
edit……..
Apple is an American company that employs Americans and continues to innovate and create great products, not good products, GREAT products. They acquire patents on their ideas to protect themselves from the companies in Asiatic countries who historically have STOLEN american ideas to make a profit for themselves. The amount of hatred i see in the comments of this website boggles me. If you dont like how Apple decides to impose restrictions on their devices, fine, dont buy the fucking phone but don’t hate on one of the few successful American companies we have left… idiots.
Flame away….
So Foxconn is an American company employing Americans?
So I guess the Chinese are Americans now?
I expected somebody to be dumb enough to talk about how apple outsources work. Congrats, you were the first and here is your cookie. Last i checked though, apple was employing quite a few americans. llibsetag:
Apple employs more Americans at Apple HQ & USA Retail
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/apple-passes-exxon-most-valuable-us-compan…7 hours ago – “Apple employs more Americans at Apple HQ & USA Retail Stores than it does in the electronics manufacturing plants in China. …
That is becuse the employees in Asia are not Apple employees. They work for contractors of Apple, so yes Apple has it’s overseas worker bees to keep tabs on the contractors.
Even if your correct, my point still stands, maybe you should have read the thread before posting. Apple employs many people stateside, where as htc, samsung ect. ect. do not even come close. Apple pays taxes in my state, hell if you were a kid growing up in california a few years ago, all of the computers in your school were from apple. My point is just that apple is a good company, a strong american company that should not be blasted by idiots on websites simply because of the notion that the people that buy their products are stupid or think they are better that android users. That idea is just beyond ridiculous. I think Steve Jobs is a fucking hero. He was a guy with a vision who built a company from the ground up, he fought adversity throughout the entire life of apple, lives through cancer and guess what, he is still around, still dreaming and still guiding progress. Because of people like Steve, because of companies like apple, the people of the world have choices in what they buy and because they have choices, every mfg has to pony up and work towards the future. If it weren’t for the innovators, the dreamers and the doers, we would be stuck on windows 95.
RIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTTTTT! All that worship of the iSteve. You know what I’ll play your game. He IS a good businessman. He DID co-found a company, then got thrown out. He DID come back &, with the help of Bill Gates, bring them back from bankruptcy.
Oh… He DID have a child early in his life that he disowned & tried to deny paternity to. He has since tried to fix that but the damage is done. You want to paint him as a saint for his business sense? That is only part of the picture. There is more to judging someone than how good/shrewd they are at business. I can’t remember the last time I saw headlines on how bad Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell were as deadbeat dads. Got any?
Oh and M$, Google, Oracle… Their employment base is bigger than Apples here in the states. Look it up right there on their company profile pages.
If you are going to argue online, at least do so with proper grammar. Like capitalizing Apple and other words like “I”. You can get off on Apple all you want. Fact is their businesses practices as of late have been moved from innovating to copying and the court room. That’s a fact. The last few iOS releases have copied things from other OS’ and then presented to consumers to a way that makes it seem like Apple had it first. So now they sue other companies they feel are a threat. If that’s not true, then why isn’t Apple going after other companies besides Samsung and HTC right now? Feel free to use words other than dumb, idiots, and stupid in your response.
Why does a “strong american company” reduce itself to pitiful weak and cowardly litigation to keep it’s market share?
Way to be patriotically stupid dude.
o god, would u just put down that american flag, memorial day was in may…so just because apple employs americans we should support them ? thats like saying that just because the president of the united states tells us who the enemy is , we should just believe him and not make our own decisions because its american ? apple is a closed ,boring company, only interested in making money at the expense of the dumb and the attention whores of the world running around with their outdated iphones, ipads, ipods and the like thinking theyre using the best, when its really not…apple users, and im even referring to the imac users as well cant even take out the battery without an overprice apple tech there to overcharge them, you cant customize your iphone except to put a colorful case around it, etc….do i need to go on….the reason there is so much hate is because they generate it, they breed it, like bacteria in a cesspool… no one cares that its an american company, if google buys apple ill throw a party and laugh.
I’m going to disregard your statement about blindly following the president. There is no correlation between what i said about not flaming american companies and yours.
So you have a problem with apple making products in order to sell them and make money? Interesting factoid: all companies are out to make money! I know i may have just changed your world so ill try to slow down. While apple was busy innovating and developing the iphone and acquiring patents for it, google was busy trying to find better ways to to find out everything about you so they could sell the info to advertisers. So while apple was trying to make a product that was going to change the world, google was lurking, watching you from the shadows, lol.
So what if apple makes products that are easy to use and stylish, and so what if you think the only people that buy them are douchbags and/or stupid. Did somebody with an apple product hurt you when you were a child? did somebody beat you with a Newton?
And just to clarify, I don’t own an iphone, haven’t owned an apple product in over a decade. I am a much bigger fan of android than of ios for probably the same reasons as you.
Flaming AMERICAN companies did you say? Last I checked Google, M$ et al were American too. ALL these companies get their a majority of their revenues from worldwide markets. And if you are naive enough to believe that Apple isn’t sitting back gathering a mountain of information on it’s customers, & competitor’s customers, I got some fantastic beach front property to sell you in the Appalachian Mountains.
Apple creates products, acquires patents and smaller companies and as a a side gig, collects people’s info as well. I do not like this one bit but they still get more respect from me than google. Why? Google creates products, acquires patents and smaller companies with sole intent to to gather your info. Google got so big because they created the king of search engines, this also gave them the opportunity to collect massive amounts of info… and next thing we know they are a BIG player in the market… all from selling your data better than anybody else. In reality I don’t have an affinity towards any of these big companies because they are all greedy and evil but i am somewhat comfortable with the fact that the fruits of their labor come stateside.
how can one be beat with a newton ? a fig newton ? or get beat by the corpse of issac newton ? lol i think ill take the figs. But talking about beating a dead corpse, collecting information, just like earning money, is what every company does. Apple takes that to the next level by requiring and insisting that only their own techs can look at, disassemble, or repair the device, otherwise it voids the contract. Android(and most others) allow the owner of the phone to do as he wishes, without voiding the contract. Heres an example of the difference… my friends iphone freezes, and my G2 freezes simultaneously….i can pop off the battery cover, take out the battery and reboot my phone in less than 3 minutes. my friend with iphone must find an apple store or authorized service place and pay who knows how much, and take who knows how long to do the same thing i did for myself in less than 3 minutes.
Thank you for the clarification on your OS of choice, and yes you probably love it for the same reasons as me. I love america and american companies, but to say we shouldnt hate them because theyre american is, you have to admit a bit silly. With all the whining and crying steve jobs and apple are doing and the continuous market share loss, and now trying to buy patents to overcompensate for the iphones weakenesses, i truly think apple will implode under its own weight, or someone larger will simply buy them…….go google….!!!
Why would Exxon want to buy Apple? You say a larger company will buy them, Exxon is the only company on the planet bigger than Apple. Apple spends more money on company picnics than Google makes in a year.
Search the apple newton, a big bulky first gen palmpilot type device better for beatings than what it was actually designed to do. What your saying about the benefits of being able to fix an iphone is true… my point was about it being good that there are choices.
Apple employs cheap Chinese workers… Apple is American, sure, but just in their pocket…
I need to know something, and i hope i dont sound dumb for asking it. in regards to patents, how can anyone use something in a patent, if that patent isnt approved till years and years later. For example that patent they mention in the article above, it was filed in 2007 ? and it just got approved now , meanwhile the tech has been in use for nearly the same amount of time. i see this over and over, and its confusing.
it is confusing but it is also very common. damn near everything has a marking somewhere on it or its packaging that has a list of patents labelled “Patents Pending.” the reason for this is that the patent office is backed up with thousands of applications and the review process can easily take years to get a final ruling. so rather than wait on a patent that may or may not be granted, companies take a gamble by marketing products before they have the patent.
Correct. And infringing competitors take a gamble by copying the process letter for letter in the hope that their lawyers can fend off the attacks from the pending patent owner when the inevitable lawsuit is filed against them.
RIM had to pay NTP $630 million in 2006 or risk having Blackberries completely blocked from sale.
Apple is a different animal (or plant if you like!). They rarely ever license their patents to competitors, preferring (like Google does with PageRank) to keep the technological advantage to differentiate their product and maintain a NATURAL monopoly (as opposed to using marketing muscle like Microsoft did prior to the Anti-Trust rulings).
Like it or not, this is perfectly legal. Basically Apple is saying “go roll your own joints”. Having lost out in the 80s and 90s with Microsoft’s blatant “embrace and extend” copying of MacOS with the wildly-successful Windows 95 because they failed to file patents protecting their technology, this time they’re saying: “trick me once, shame on you; trick me twice…”
Oh yeah… I forgot all about that MacOS technology that M$ copied in Windows 95. lol How silly of me……
The same MacOS technology that the iSteve STOLE from Xerox.
Patent Law is the new law to enter into, almost as good as water rights law, to lock you into one case that will last many many years. The lawyers are loving this.
no flash support patent… lol…
I had a palmpilot with a touch screen.
still own a HTC pocket pc 6700 touch screen.
Thinking back there was no iPhone.
I don’t know if anyone recalls, but there was an iPhone out about 12 years ago. I know because I bought one and still have it. It could browse the internet, had a touch screen, and never dropped a call. Because it was a land line phone! Point being, Apple took the Patented name and as far as I know, never paid a dime to the original iPhone people.
Apple is making an ass of themselves. I would think if they continue to keep this up, they are going to offend people they had on their side to begin with. The only people that side with a bully are people to weak to think for themselves.
Apple is going down, and down, and lower in my estime. Poor, poor thing.
I just hope that Europe and Asia tell Apple and any other company to take a flying fuck at themselves over this patent bullshit.
Apple does not make components… If Apple does not make components, how can they have a patent on component technology?
Hey Chris, why do you word the title of your post in such a way as to fan the flames?
Apple did not “acquire” the patents as you state. Which would imply they purchased them. Apple were “granted” patents that they filed for way back in 2007 as you properly stated in your post. Searching for some hits are you? The Phantards would be just as enflamed if you actually stated the facts correctly.
if i were you id look up the definition of words before u claim to know what they mean. “acquire” means “to come into possession or ownership” nowhere does it say “buying or purchasing” So Chris was correct in saying they “acquired” them. So the “facts” are stated correctly, so STFU.
The pic of Jobs as Dr Evil or Mini Me? is funny as hell…
For some reason (disqus) I cannot reply to you each individually so here is what you get.
@sQueezedhe: Because they have to, that’s the way it works nowadays. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
@J Dub: My lack of capitalization is merely a function of how much energy i was willing to put into my responses towards people like you. You are just not worth the use of the shift button. Regarding the rest of your post: is apple doing something illegal by suing people who have used their patents? These other companies saw apple raking in the bucks and wanted to jump on so they just flat out stole the ideas. Even though google owned android for some time, I sure didn’t see a google phone come out until after the apple phone was proven to be a success. It seems like you want to single out apple for their business practices but your failing to dig beneath the surface… all of these companies are doing the same things. And finally, regarding word choices and freedom: you are a stupid dumb idiot.
@Robert White
You use your real name, I respect that. I did not intend to paint Steve as a saint, he is not. However not every hero is a boy scout, let’s be honest. It is people like him however, that our country needs right now.
Search Larry Ellsion, you will find information about his flaws including a sexual harassment lawsuit which he won. I guess with enough money and the right legal team you can get out of anything (OJ!)
Search Eric Schmidt, you will find the same type of stuff. None of these people are saints.
In regards to google, oracle and MS employing more americans than apple…GOOD! My point was not that apple was a better company FOR americans than any of the others, my point was that it was an american company who was succeeding in more legit ways than google and should not be blindly shot down by phantards on this website for the products they sell. If people don’t like how apple wants to control their products, do what i did and dont buy the iphone. I don’t like how people sing the praises of these foreign companies while downing our american ones… the foreign ones look at us as a joke, as slaves. They are opportunists who steal american ideas and cry when they get sued for it. Sadly, The american companies are the same, but I would rather they be successful than the foreign ones because their success translates to money, tax revenues, jobs for MY people, for AMERICANS.
I’m done with this thread, now i’m going to go jump on my japanese DJ equipment and practice for my gig.
Love you all.
@Matt Foley: You say Apple is pro-american? You do, however, realize that USA is a small fraction of the world? You do also realize that the strategy Apple has been recently pursuing will eventually hurt you, poor American, in the long run? More competition equals more innovation, lower prices and a higher variety of choice?
Your arguments lack substance and are not backed with any facts or figures. You roll out the history of Steve Jobs and worship him.
J Dub raised questions to the validity of your comments. Instead of producing a constructive answer, you flame the guy.
You wrote:
“It seems like you want to single out apple for their business practices but your failing to dig beneath the surface… all of these companies are doing the same things”.
I’m asking: what things? what companies? Back up your arguments.
The business world is cruel and companies are soulless entities that will push the limits and bend the rules to protect themselves or make more profit. That is completely understandable. However, these actions are not always in line with the interest of us, consumers but you don’t understand that because for you Apple is all about Jobs.
See, you are a perfect example of an Apple user: blinded by the worship of Jobs, and so strongly convinced that Apple is all about innovation that you’re missing out on the big picture.
I will skip on responding to your argument about Apple being superior to Samsung or HTC because it is paying tax to California. I don’t want to make you look like a nationalist fool.
Ok, i said i was done after my last post but you have a good argument so i will give you a small piece of my time. I disagree with the patent system as a whole. It is ineffective and has proven to be more a detriment to progress than an aide. I completely agree with your first paragraph.
Your next statement, that I didn’t provide much data is also true, none of my statements are baseless or without truth however. This is a thread on a phandroid post, if you want citations go back to school. I am not lying or talking out of my ass. If you want the data take your own time to find it and you will see i am right. I am not writing a thesis for you.
“I’m asking: what things? what companies? Back up your arguments.”
All of these companies are evil and do evil things to get more profitable, apple just beat the rest of them to the finish line. Do you live in a world where apple is the only one purchasing up patents? Google, Oracle, MS, they all do it for the exact same reasons. Once again if you want citations get em yourself.
“See, you are a perfect example of an Apple user”
I am not an apple user as i already stated but i guess you overlooked that didn’t you smart guy.
“The business world is cruel and companies are soulless…”
Agree with the first part of your statement completely, the last part is is not correct. See below.
“you don’t understand that because for you Apple is all about Jobs.”
Wrong. Apple to me is all about innovation. I will cite a small # of the many products.
First with a real GUI (taken from Xerox who was sitting on the tech for years and making no progress)
First with an actually portable and usable computer, the Newton. (it sucked.)
First to put a hard drive in a mass marketed mp3 player. Suddenly you didn’t just carry around some of your favorite songs with you, you carried ALL OF THEM with you.
And lets not forget that little iphone, the gamechanger, the idea that we all dreamed of and the thing apple created that changed the world. The product that everybody else is still trying to duplicate. Its not the best phone out there in my opinion (2011), but it sure as shit was the best thing out in the last decade.
I am not missing out on the big picture. I do not blindly worship apple, they like their competition are greedy and evil, but i respect them more than the others.
Finally, and in regards to me being a nationalist fool, I am, and a proud one at that. I love the fact that my country has been responsible for so many innovations since it’s inception. Where are you from? What has your country done for the world? I am sad that our government has allowed the outsourcing of our industries, i am sad that my friends, family and other copatriots that i have never met are suffering in this economy but i digress.
It’s seems to me that you are missing out on the big picture. Yes, hate apple for winning the patent race, it doesnt make them any more evil than google, it just makes them smarter.
Or you can just disregard this post and read this line:
Kiss My Ass. ;)