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Interesting as Apple clearly copied the look and feel of Wil's application Delicious Library of use in thier iBook store application. Granted I doubt Wil holds
by markkanof 17y ago
Interesting as Apple clearly copied the look and feel of Wil's application Delicious Library of use in thier iBook store application. Granted I doubt Wil holds a patent on that interface, but it does seem a bit hypocritical.
- appathy 17y agoYou can't really patent an interface. An interface can be part of a patent, but not a patent by itself.
- sern 17y agoYou can register ("patent") a design.
- appathy 17y agoDesign patents are totally different than regular patents though. I have never heard of anyone getting sued because of a design patent.
- KT 17y agoNo, you get sued then because of trade dress.
- bitwize 17y agoTry putting your own beverage in bottles shaped like Coke's iconic curve bottle. Then you'll hear of it.
- mechanical_fish 17y agoThat's trademark law. Not the same thing as patent law, which in turn is not the same thing as copyright law.
- bitwize 17y agoThe design of a functional thing may be covered under a design patent; and indeed the Coke bottle shape is covered by such a patent. Trademark law refers primarily to the design of nonfunctional things such as logos, the Deep Note sound, etc.
- AlfaWolph 17y agoOne instance I know of is when Gibson Guitars sued Paul Reed Smith Guitars over the single-cut design Gibson uses for its Les Paul guitars (and won).
- starkfist 17y agoI assumed this is licensed from Shipley or they had Shipley do it for them. Apple is good at covert acquisitions and partnerships. Edit - Looks like i'm wrong. (easier to edit than respond to 4 other posts)
- appathy 17y agoShipley wasn't involved. He posted some angry tweets when he first saw it.
- pmjordan 17y ago"Angry"? IIRC he said they'd clearly copied it and that he'd be pissed if they were using it in a directly competing product. He also acknowledged that there's hardly a better visual metaphor for representing a collection of books.
- superjohan 17y agoHe had a tweet earlier today explicitly saying that Apple copied him, and that he wouldn't have sued even if he'd had a patent. Seems he's removed the tweet now, though (can't find it) so you'll just have to take my word for it I guess...
- adolph 17y agoNope. In the Washington Post Shipley says that is not the case: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012704221.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01...
- hyperbovine 17y agoInteresting as Apple clearly copied the look and feel of Wil's application Delicious Library of use in thier iBook store application. Either that or somebody at Apple once went to a library. Wood shelves holding books... profound.
- starkfist 17y agoEither that or somebody at Apple once went to a library. If you read more into it, the iPad team is where 3 Delicious Monster employees ended up, including the lead designer.
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- tjogin 17y agoGraphic concepts too vague to even claim copyright of are not equal to patents. Not saying that makes this right on Apple's part, just saying it's a world of difference.