Apple sues HTC for infringing 20 Patents...

[Scoob]

Didnt Apple also lose to MS when MS released Windows 1.0 and Apple said it was too close to the Mac point and click?

Some things you cannot have a monopoly on...

[Darkjedi]

From what I understand, multitouch is actually suspiciously NOT in the filings. I don't think Apple is ready to wage war about that yet as they would risk bringing in Google/Motorola/palm into the mix and forming a litigative alliance against Apple.

While companies should protect their IP and patents, a lot of what Apple patents aren't exact 'novel' ideas, but merely things they popularized. A lot of what the patents cover are so broad it just stifles the industry from making better products for consumers.

[gTen]

"We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."

Translation:

We can use trademarks such as the name iPhone and iPad that don't belong to us then make fake companies and attempt to steal those trademarks from their rightful owners cause we are Apple, but if someone tries to copy our patents..well thats just wrong..even though we weren't first in making it anyways but we patented it first and thats all that counts *whistle*

[piranah]

I dont see how you can not infringe on patents in the tech community. How different can multitouch really be from one device to another? I know it can do different things with different motions, etc. but its not like you can revolutionize pinch to zoom.

So what it looks like crApple is doing is their same old same old, seeing what people want right now and charging you for it. thats how they make their money. I mean look at the imaxiPad. its an iphony with a big screen, and they are going to charge an arm and a leg for something that is not revolutionary at all. Want copy and paste? that will be ten bucks. Want to update your phone? that will be 30 bucks. Yet thats how crApple works, and they are good at it. The sheep are being herded yet again.

[drksilenc]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8545976.stm
how freakin lame is this.

[hunter7773]

ok explain something. The '849 Patent, entitled "Unlocking A Device By Performing Gestures On An Unlock Image," was duly and legally issued on February 2, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark
if they just got the patent last month how is this even on the table to use to sue. seems how tp2 has had the lock for wat a yr.

[toviaheli]

this should be news on the front page of ppcgeeks...

[hunter7773]

srry forgot to add. about the gesture to unlock a screen. so that means they have to sue pocketsheild and throttle lock right?i mean apple didnt think this thru.most of the patents they r suein for r 2 yrs or less old. so they really dont have much of a chance.

[bluedeer]

Originally Posted by Mojary

i agree with you p-slim about us as consumers are ultimately to losers in these things. but what i don't get is why was the patent approved? i would understand if they copyrighted the thing. but getting it patent basically means that nobody can create/write a similar product. doesn't having a patent mean that now only apple can be the only device that can have the multi-touch feature on phones?

The whole point of a patent is so that people can't steal your invention for use without your permission. -HOWEVER-, you can easily make similar inventions with variants and patent it as your own work, happens all the time, and it's completely legal. If I make a light bulb, and then someone else makes a light bulb that's slightly different, we can both patent our light bulbs as our inventions and be awarded them. That doesn't stop companies from crying foul when a similar technology is developed but is different from the original.

Part of the problem of our patent system, however, is that once a patent is awarded, it can be transferred and sold, and never lapse regardless if the original inventor passes on, and what happens too often is that companies that purchase patents from their previous holders is that they get greedy and start looking for other ways to make money. Apple has likely recieved or purchased patents for various products and now that HTC has become a far greater known name than previously, Apple's looking to collect and they'll do anything they can to try to 'prove' HTC has stolen their patents. But unless HTC is using Multitouch exactly as it's provided in the iPhone, or creating UI's that are exactly like the iPhone, or using technology that's expressely provided in the iPhone, Apple doesn't have a leg to stand on. Though they may hope to tie HTC up in court to make it expensive.

It's sad when companies rely on patents for income and seem to be interested only in stifling competition or innovation, which is what Apple is famous for.

[MrGoodtunes]

As if my hatred against anything Apple isn't already dangerously near the limits of a healthy mindset!