Apple

Wtf man this is crazy

you need to brush up on patent law before starting in with the snarky comments.. specifically a "design patent". this is nothing new, and companies apply for these every day. just typical apple bashing without understanding what you're talking about.

Originally Posted by scottjl

you need to brush up on patent law before starting in with the snarky comments.. specifically a "design patent". this is nothing new, and companies apply for these every day. just typical apple bashing without understanding what you're talking about.

Still a ridiculous patent.

Originally Posted by Phillip Swanson

If there is a single patent in existence that highlights the broken nature of the USPTO this is it. The patent is broad like the horizon is wide, and will certainly lead to some very perplexed judges and companies across the globe as they inevitably are faced with lawsuits stemming from the new patent, that is if Apple actually decides to use the patent. But, this is the company that is currently suing Amazon over the term App Store. Thank goodness Apple isn't in the grocery store business.

There are already thousands of patents that perfectly highlight the broken nature of the USPTO. We don't need more.

Originally Posted by Phillip Swanson

Perhaps this development will start a patent trend where companies and individuals spam the USPTO with patent requests ever-increasing in their lunacy. Maybe then something will be done.

Have you been living under a rock for the last 20 years? This is already the status quo. Clearly nothing will ever be done.

I know nothing about patent law either. But whatever the ins and outs of it if the patent is ludicrous Apple is still not to blame. The patent system is.

Originally Posted by Tony9592

Still a ridiculous patent.

I agree. It also just opened the door for apple to start more lawsuits for other tablet makers using the same design. Guarteed Apple will go after Samsung first. Guess table mfg's will start having to design triangle or hexagon tablets

I know nothing about patent law either. But whatever the ins and outs of it, if the patent is ludicrous Apple is still not to blame. The patent system is.

Originally Posted by Phillip Swanson

But, this is the company that is currently suing Amazon over the term App Store. Thank goodness Apple isn't in the grocery store business.

Personally I think that's valid. Although the terms were already in existence, Apple 'coined the phrase' if you like.

oh come on!! i certainly dont wanna see a triangle chop board in my kitchen..

damn. I'm going to patent the shape everyone knows as a circle. Then I will sue everyone that eats an orange or has a car as the tires are circles.

This is just pathetic. patenting a shape and getting it. I'm not sure which is more stupid Apple for doing it or the patent office for approving it.

Scott,

You are right, under current patent law this is allowed; however, this is a prime example of why we need patent reform.

I mean can you imagine Monsanto making GMO Corn, then claiming that they should be able to patent all Corn? Now this might sound ridiculous, but Monsanto tried essentially this, then when they only got the patent on GMO corn, they decided that if their product infected yours they could sue you to stop you from selling. Luckily we have now passed laws preventing them from doing that, in other words, we passed limited patent reform on GMO crops.

The same holds true here, Apple modeled the iPad after numerous Sci-Fi products that were essentially tablets, which were rectangular and used rounded corners (see Star Trek, Planet of the Apes (I think it is), along with numerous others). Now, Apple wants to patent someone else's design. With the corn in the previous example, corn is God's or nature's design, in this case tablets are the design of various sci-fi writers. Additionally, there have been many other tablets before the iPad with a similar shape that were not successful, but were still put out there. So, there is no way that Apple should be allowed this patent and it can be challenged in court.

Originally Posted by Phillip Swanson

... The patent is broad like the horizon is wide, and will certainly lead to some very perplexed judges and companies across the globe as they inevitably are faced with lawsuits stemming from the new patent, that is if Apple actually decides to use the patent.

I wonder how broad the patent is. Does it pertain to design elements of tablets, or does this encroach other peripherals like tablet PCs, netbooks, notebooks, ultrabooks, etc? It's a ridiculous thought that Apple could potential run themselves into the ground over patent wars and/or humiliate themselves when a judge throws their case out because the judge feels that its plain idiotic.

Good news for Dunder Mifflin/Sabre!!

Also, false, Apple did not win a patent for "round-square rectangle". If you actually look at the patent you will see they are patenting the design in 3 dimensions, which includes the curvature of the back, not to mention the location and shape of the buttons and speaker grill. This patent is so unigue, it's not just the iPad in general, it's specifically the iPad 1!!

So, I guess either the writers are really lazy in their research, or modmyi has been taken over the FanDroids.

Originally Posted by Ambi_Valence

I know nothing about patent law either. But whatever the ins and outs of it, if the patent is ludicrous Apple is still not to blame. The patent system is.

Yes, patent system is broken.
But Apple is the one trying to exploit the system makes Apple just as guilty.
And don't give me "if Apple did not do it others would", the thing is others didn't Apple DID.

its fairly simple..
apple patented something every company and theirs have been doing for years.

the baseball analogy is pretty accurate although extreme.

cant wait for the first lawsuit to come out.. although im doubting it will,, i think its more for intimidation

So now companies will make tablets with sharp edges or start making square tablets with rounded edges?

this isn't a patent for a shape. apple cant sue if someone made a sandwich with a rectangle shape and rounded corners. fix the title.

yes. the patent system is broken. but look at apple's side of things. if they didn't put in for this patent to defend themselves (1) someone else could have put in for it and then sued apple or (2) company _______ could have produced a unit that looked exactly like an ipad physically and gotten away with it.

all companies (that have a clue) file for the same types of patents, keeps the knock-off brands from duplicating something exactly.

yes. it's sad that companies have to do things like this to protect themselves. but this is the system we're stuck with. it's sadder that "news" sites post this information up as troll "news" articles.

disclaimer: i have a fair bit of experience with patents, copyrights and trademarks in the US.

Are you sure Apple was granted a patent on the round corner rectangle?

Originally Posted by Phillip Swanson

Honestly though, I'm just excited for hexagon and oblique shaped tablets to show up.

+1

Originally Posted by NakedFaerie

damn. I'm going to patent the shape everyone knows as a circle. Then I will sue everyone that eats an orange or has a car as the tires are circles.

This is just pathetic. patenting a shape and getting it. I'm not sure which is more stupid Apple for doing it or the patent office for approving it.

Ah, but I'd defeat your case as oranges are roughly spherical and car tyres are cylindrical....