Apple is greedy, Steve Jobs sucks etc....

[FrostedxB]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/...-blow-to-htc-android-in-serious-trouble/13714

This is a very significant development since these two patents are also in dispute between Apple and Motorola and Apple and Nokia. This decision is also landmark in that it is the first legal judgement that finds Android in infringement of third-party intellectual property rights.

Just how serious is this ruling for HTC? Very serious. The worst-case scenario is that the ITC imposes an US import ban against all of HTC’s Android products. That’s how serious this is for HTC.

The two Apple patents that HTC is infringing are as follows:

U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 on a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data.”
U.S. Patent No. 6,343,263 on a “real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data.”

So Apple is mad that text-links can become clickable links? Seems like an attempt to rub out some competition.

 

[Viperidae]

I'm not surprised by Apple's attitude. I am surprised, however, that you can patent 'you press on something and something does something in response.' Love the legal system.

 

[CptStern]

So Apple is made that text-links can become clickable links? Seems like an attempt to rub out some competition.

but then you're implying apple had the foresight to plan this in advance (when filing the trademark) so that their competition would be banned at some future date

 

[Raziaar]

"U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 on a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data.”

Great... they patented the method. Time to take down all software.


"U.S. Patent No. 6,343,263 on a “real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data.”


WHAT in the ****ing hell? How do they get away with such ridiculously vague patents like this that pretty much every piece of modern electronic device uses today? Patent law is ****ing stupid.

 

[StarBob]

From what I understand, large companies try to patent just about everything about a complex product that they can regardless of whether it holds up in court just to discourage people. Then if they have to fight they have something to go on no matter how ridiculous it is.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

I'm not surprised by Apple's attitude. I am surprised, however, that you can patent 'you press on something and something does something in response.' Love the legal system.

"U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 on a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data.”

Great... they patented the method. Time to take down all software.


"U.S. Patent No. 6,343,263 on a “real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data.”


WHAT in the ****ing hell? How do they get away with such ridiculously vague patents like this that pretty much every piece of modern electronic device uses today? Patent law is ****ing stupid.

This stuff. I hate software patents the most.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

How long does that fag have to live anyway?

 

[Mr Stabby]

"U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 on a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data.”

Great... they patented the method. Time to take down all software.


"U.S. Patent No. 6,343,263 on a “real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data.”


WHAT in the ****ing hell? How do they get away with such ridiculously vague patents like this that pretty much every piece of modern electronic device uses today? Patent law is ****ing stupid.

A patent doesn't cover the invention, it covers what the you claim the invention does. I haven't read either patent but if the claims are broad generalisations then Apple could lose the patent in litigation.

I work on patents for an electircal engineering company and I can tell you the USPTO do not do a good job in controlling patents, it is up to other companies to sue apple for claims thar infringe previous patents. Or this is all hype and Apples claims are actually quite narrow.

 

[Solaris]

I think digital patents are a complete joke, I hate them.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Yeah... those patents are so vague sounding and broad that I'm sure I've infringed on them making simple programs in C++. Seriously hope there is a way that someone can point out how ridiculous those patents are.

 

[Mr Stabby]

It will be interesting to see how this goes in Europe as the EPO are very methodical and German about patent claims.

 

[Kadayi]

The US Patent system is an utter joke, especially where it comes to these 'generalized monopolistic' patents. It's one thing to invent a device that does x, y & z it's another thing entirely to patent the input etc, etc

 

[xcellerate]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here but I try and click on the 'images' on the patent website so I can see what they've drawn and in ubuntu Chrome, FF5, and Opera all tell me there's a missing plugin and it can't display the images. So I load up XP, chrome and IE tell me there's a problem and FF5 says I need quicktime, so I download quicktime and try again...and it tells me I need quicktime. So I load up windows 7 and try with IE9 and I get the same, 'what the **** am I supposed to do with this error?"

I mean holy shit, what backwards ****ing plugins are they using to display god damn pictures. I mean jesus christ, 3 operating systems and 4 different browsers can't display it natively?! That's been more frustrating for me than whatever apple got a patent for.

 

[FrostedxB]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/htc-p...d-apple-patents/52545?tag=mantle_skin;content

So what does this patent scrum mean? Here’s the short list:

The charade that Android is a free mobile operating system is over. The patent headache for Google means that Apple, Microsoft and potentially Oracle could collect fees on Android. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes and Florian Mueller have noted that Android is in big trouble with these Apple patents.
HTC is going to take an earnings hit. Analysts in Asia have noted that HTC could have to settle with Apple and pay ongoing royalty fees. Damages are also possible. Barclays Capital analyst Dale Gai said in a research note:
Our base case remains that HTC will seek a settlement with Apple in the next six months, by paying out a certain amount of the damages (a portion of which has been set aside from previous earnings), and/or future licensing royalties, subject to negotiations with Apple for HTC’s S3 patents (which won an initial ruling against Apple’s infringement on July 1, 2011). In the worst case, if HTC agrees to pay US$5 to Apple for each smartphone it sells in the US, we estimate the impact on EPS will be 4-5% in 2012.

The company’s S3 acquisition will matter more, but HTC lacks leverage against Apple. Morgan Stanley analyst Jasmine Lu said that HTC bought S3 for patents so it could better fight Apple, but the ITC takes away negotiating leverage.
HTC will have to find a workaround and that could hurt the Android user interface. Without a workaround, it’s possible that Apple refuses to settle and HTC devices won’t be imported into the U.S.

So wait, HTC has to find a way around and has nearly no ground to fight such vague patents?

 

[Omnomnick]

"Apple is greedy, Steve jobs sucks etc..."

What's new?

 

[CptStern]

here's what's not new:

people blaming apple and ignoring everyone else:

The patent headache for Google means that Apple, Microsoft and potentially Oracle could collect fees on Android.

STEVE JOBS SHOULD GET THE CHAIR!!!

 

[Dandan]

I'm going to ban all Apple products from now on. The latest ipod touch I bought (4G) sucks balls and I barely use it. Half my shit won't sync anymore and just recently my girlfriend got a $2000 Mac and it all ready is on recall. Android all the way!

 

[Mr Stabby]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here but I try and click on the 'images' on the patent website so I can see what they've drawn and in ubuntu Chrome, FF5, and Opera all tell me there's a missing plugin and it can't display the images. So I load up XP, chrome and IE tell me there's a problem and FF5 says I need quicktime, so I download quicktime and try again...and it tells me I need quicktime. So I load up windows 7 and try with IE9 and I get the same, 'what the **** am I supposed to do with this error?"

I mean holy shit, what backwards ****ing plugins are they using to display god damn pictures. I mean jesus christ, 3 operating systems and 4 different browsers can't display it natively?! That's been more frustrating for me than whatever apple got a patent for.

Go to google patents and type the patent number into the search bar.


The diagrams are irrelevant from a legal standpoint, only the claims matter.

 

[xcellerate]

yea, I was just hoping the diagrams might provide an example of what all this general terminology means.

"the user does something, the cpu does some processing, and an output is output!"

and looking back. How did they even test that 'image' section to the patent if 3 operating systems and 5 browsers aren't able to display it? That just blows my mind, surely something has just corrupted on their end...at least I hope so.

 

[Dandan]

I want to patent breathing, eating, and living

1) The user sucks in air by any means into the body

2) The user places food inside body

3) The user stays alive

This should net me lots of $$$

 

[15357]

I'm not that evil, so I'm gonna patent gaming.

1) User utilizes software to manipulate virtual representation of self.

2) Has fun.

 

[Stylo]

"Apple is greedy, Steve jobs sucks etc..."

What's new?

This, pretty much. The world has come to expect crap like this from Apple and Steve Jobsworth.

I didn't think you could patent an invention's function in such vague terms. Weren't tonnes of well known and widespread electronic devices doing the kind of shit these patents could encompass before Apple patented it anyway? Can they really do that?

 

[Bad^Hat]

2) Has fun.

Try and take on any major publisher with this in court, they'll tell you this was never their stated intent. :v

 

[Mr Stabby]

you cant patent something that is public knowledge.

 

[Eejit]

While I'm no Apple whiteknight you guys keep assuming that the contents of patents are as vague as their titles. That is generally not at all the case.
The detailed description sub-section for one of those patents is 4684 words long, the other 2269.

 

[Danimal]

Google tried pretty hard to get their hands on this too, mind you.

 

[Dandan]

Wasn't there a company recently that sold like 6,000 patents recently and Google missed out on the bid?

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

This just in: Jobs is a smug **** who runs an evil empire .

Love my iPhone 4 32gb though. Thing is ****ing awesome.