Apple's patent wars

[VVoltz]

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/11/23/apple-samsung-patent-wars/


On top of that infographic, Apple has officially filed a suing agains Samsung in the US for the following:

• the “data tapping” patent based on which the ITC ordered animport ban against HTC
• a patent related to Siri and unified search, which must be of huge concern to Google with a view to its core business
• a new slide-to-unlock patent that even had the head of the Taiwanese government profoundly worried
• a word completion patent that provides major speed improvements for touchscreen text entry

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/12/apple-sues-samsung-in-us-court/

Do you think they are taking things too far? Is competition really avoiding innovation?
Thoughts, feelings?

 

[Presto99]

I think it's stupid how much they fight. Sure, you don't want people to exactly copy your device, but a "Slide to unlock" patent? What the crap? Despite me owning an ipod and my dad an ipad, I hate Apple. They're butts. What do other cell phone makers have to do to make a phone that they can legally sell?!

 

[Originality]

I think it's stupid how much they fight. Sure, you don't want people to exactly copy your device, but a "Slide to unlock" patent? What the crap? Despite me owning an ipod and my dad an ipad, I hate Apple. They're butts. What do other cell phone makers have to do to make a phone that they can legally sell?!

Make it out of chocolate.

That aside, I'm of the opinion of "to hell with Apple patents" and the competition should be allowed to do whatever they have to to make a fully featured phone that everybody wants. I think the customers are more important than the lawyers of the manufacturers.

 

[Foxi4]

I think it's stupid how much they fight. Sure, you don't want people to exactly copy your device, but a "Slide to unlock" patent? What the crap? Despite me owning an ipod and my dad an ipad, I hate Apple. They're butts. What do other cell phone makers have to do to make a phone that they can legally sell?!

Make it out of chocolate.

That aside, I'm of the opinion of "to hell with Apple patents" and the competition should be allowed to do whatever they have to to make a fully featured phone that everybody wants. I think the customers are more important than the lawyers of the manufacturers.

There are patents and there are ridiculous claims.

One can defend the hardware built of their device or the source code that fuels its software, one should not defend concepts like "icons" or "rectangles" because they're universally obvious and natural. Apple crosses the line here, really, really often at that.

 

[Terminator02]

I think it's stupid how much they fight. Sure, you don't want people to exactly copy your device, but a "Slide to unlock" patent? What the crap? Despite me owning an ipod and my dad an ipad, I hate Apple. They're butts. What do other cell phone makers have to do to make a phone that they can legally sell?!

Make it out of chocolate.

That aside, I'm of the opinion of "to hell with Apple patents" and the competition should be allowed to do whatever they have to to make a fully featured phone that everybody wants. I think the customers are more important than the lawyers of the manufacturers.

There are patents and there are ridiculous claims.

One can defend the hardware built of their device or the source code that fuels its software, one should not defend concepts like "icons" or "rectangles" because they're universally obvious and natural. Apple crosses the line here, really, really often at that.

I wouldn't say Apple crosses the line as much as the ridiculous patents do, every one has to be approved.

 

[Foxi4]

I wouldn't say Apple crosses the line as much as the ridiculous patents do, every one has to be approved.

I am quite convinced that they're all approved by a qualified team of monkeys.

 

[Fyrus]

qualified team of monkeys.

Monkeys can rule the court far better than Apple and its idiotic patent wars. Not only is it meaningless, but it bores consumers.

 

[VVoltz]

I wouldn't say Apple crosses the line as much as the ridiculous patents do, every one has to be approved.

I am quite convinced that they're all approved by a qualified team of monkeys.

Funny, I know several people that work at the patent office and they are much less hairier than monkeys (one particular person is actually a very attractive young lady, sorry, no pics). While I haven't discussed it with them, I think the patent system in this country is completely out of control, big companies like Apple just file thousands of applications.
Change or evolution of the system is needed.

 

[Jamstruth]

Patents need to be more specific over what they protect. Ideas should not be protected, PRODUCTS should be protected. Specific implementations of code or specific hardware design should be protected but vague design ideas just cause hassle like this

 

[TripleSMoon]

Been following this for a while. I think the folks in charge of granting patents should be required to research and verify that the company seeking the patent indeed DID invent the intellectual property. Apple has been granted so many patents on things that, even on the surface, it is obvious that they did not invent, and I can't think of any real reason they were granted such patents except "because they're Apple".