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Ever develop a modal window? Arrange a timeline of messages according to date received? Arrange icons or shortcuts in a grid-like structure? Congratulations, y

Ever develop a modal window? Arrange a timeline of messages according to date received? Arrange icons or shortcuts in a grid-like structure? Congratulations, you've violated an Apple patent. Other fun tidbits from their collection: * A mobile device with rounded corners * Having a picture of a phone as a phone icon * Having a picture of a gear for a settings icon * Interactive widgets

Steko 15y ago
Thanks for helping spread massive ignorance about how design patents (etc.) work. If you make a phone with a distinctive design and patent that design, you list out the many features that comprise that design. You do not have a patent on every single one of those features. If someone copies a few of many features they certainly don't violate your patent. OTOH if they copy almost all of them they almost certainly do. Where that line is varies and I don't know if Samsung is over the line but it's pretty clear that they are way closer to the line then any other major manufacturer. And as for who this benefits, I'd suggest that HTC, Motorola and other Android vendors will benefit just as much or moreso then Apple.
- Pewpewarrows 15y ago
  I suggest you actually go read through Apple's patents before arguing about them. They didn't file a design patent for the entire device. Instead, as you browse through their collection, you see page after page of patents for tiny features like those I listed. A type of modal window, for example: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=dLnlAAAAEBAJ&dq=7,853,891 http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=dLnlAAAAEBAJ&dq=7... I literally laughed as I read through some of them, because I've definitely unknowingly violated many. It's impossible not to step on the toes of overly broad software patents.
  - dman 15y ago
    I think the time is ripe for doing some civil disobedience about software and design patents.
  - mayanksinghal 15y ago
    I think I read this on an HN thread itself, but browsing through patents in a field that related to you is not a good idea.
  - fpgeek 15y ago
    Your comment is even more impressive because you (and/or Hacker News) violated an Apple patent in your comment above. See Apple's lawsuit against HTC - matching text patterns and turning them into clickable actions is patented by Apple.
    - dexen 15y ago
      Almost, but not quite: the patent in question refers to a mobile device. See the huge difference? It matters in patent law.
      - fpgeek 15y ago
        Here's the patent in question (from the USPTO): http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,946,647.PN.&OS=PN/5,946,647&RS=PN/5,946,647 http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sec... The word "mobile" does not appear anywhere within it. In fact, Apple's implementation example is a Power Macintosh. If you consider that any sort of mobile device... well, your back is a lot stronger than mine at the very least.
    - Pewpewarrows 15y ago
      Wow, I must have missed that while browsing through them. Excellent find.
      - fpgeek 15y ago
        As a happy user of HTC Android phones, I've been following the HTC case with some interest. After HTC's setback at the ITC, I decided to take a look at the patents in question and was appalled. Since then, I've been banging this particular drum every time these lawsuits come up because it is a perfect example of exactly how broken everything is.
- fpgeek 15y ago
  I wouldn't bet on HTC and Motorola benefiting. Apple is suing them, too. Granted, those suits are mainly in the US, but if lawsuits continue to go well for Apple I'd expect Apple to keep suing.

Steko 15y ago

Thanks for helping spread massive ignorance about how design patents (etc.) work. If you make a phone with a distinctive design and patent that design, you list out the many features that comprise that design. You do not have a patent on every single one of those features. If someone copies a few of many features they certainly don't violate your patent. OTOH if they copy almost all of them they almost certainly do. Where that line is varies and I don't know if Samsung is over the line but it's pretty clear that they are way closer to the line then any other major manufacturer. And as for who this benefits, I'd suggest that HTC, Motorola and other Android vendors will benefit just as much or moreso then Apple.

Pewpewarrows 15y ago
I suggest you actually go read through Apple's patents before arguing about them. They didn't file a design patent for the entire device. Instead, as you browse through their collection, you see page after page of patents for tiny features like those I listed. A type of modal window, for example: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=dLnlAAAAEBAJ&dq=7,853,891 http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=dLnlAAAAEBAJ&dq=7... I literally laughed as I read through some of them, because I've definitely unknowingly violated many. It's impossible not to step on the toes of overly broad software patents.
- dman 15y ago
  I think the time is ripe for doing some civil disobedience about software and design patents.
- mayanksinghal 15y ago
  I think I read this on an HN thread itself, but browsing through patents in a field that related to you is not a good idea.
- fpgeek 15y ago
  Your comment is even more impressive because you (and/or Hacker News) violated an Apple patent in your comment above. See Apple's lawsuit against HTC - matching text patterns and turning them into clickable actions is patented by Apple.
  - dexen 15y ago
    Almost, but not quite: the patent in question refers to a mobile device. See the huge difference? It matters in patent law.
    - fpgeek 15y ago
      Here's the patent in question (from the USPTO): http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,946,647.PN.&OS=PN/5,946,647&RS=PN/5,946,647 http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sec... The word "mobile" does not appear anywhere within it. In fact, Apple's implementation example is a Power Macintosh. If you consider that any sort of mobile device... well, your back is a lot stronger than mine at the very least.
  - Pewpewarrows 15y ago
    Wow, I must have missed that while browsing through them. Excellent find.
    - fpgeek 15y ago
      As a happy user of HTC Android phones, I've been following the HTC case with some interest. After HTC's setback at the ITC, I decided to take a look at the patents in question and was appalled. Since then, I've been banging this particular drum every time these lawsuits come up because it is a perfect example of exactly how broken everything is.
fpgeek 15y ago
I wouldn't bet on HTC and Motorola benefiting. Apple is suing them, too. Granted, those suits are mainly in the US, but if lawsuits continue to go well for Apple I'd expect Apple to keep suing.