Quote:
Originally Posted by loginatnine
Interesting page :
http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html
In Canada, patent laws says that you cannot patent something that has been out for a reasonable time and is a "common thing". So that would explain why no one could patent the mouse or the touch screen I guess...
For the record, I think this patent is ridiculous, patent should be awarded on algorithm not the concept. |
I thought it WAS based on the algorithm (programming) not just the concept...
See the way I understand this is simple: Lets say someone patented something they called "shocks" for cars, but it was based on powerful magnets, not coil springs. That doesn't mean the shocks that were out for cars that used the coil spring design would be affected, would it?
Its the mechanics behind the way they get these things to work which is getting patented. Touch gestures I could see getting patented though, but not forever. It just seems like some multi-touch gestures are common sense and there's no other methods without making it difficult and weird feeling.