4 ms·

The icon one there is the only one I'd take issue with. Possibly the non-usb connector as well. The others are a matter of form following function. Apple don't

The icon one there is the only one I'd take issue with. Possibly the non-usb connector as well. The others are a matter of form following function. Apple don't have a trademark on USB or mains plugs. Apple don't have a trademark on white, rectangular boxes. Apple don't have a trademark on putting the damn product in the damn box (seriously? This is considered copying?) Apple don't have a trademark on showing a picture of a microphone when in a voice recording app.

johnbatch 15y ago
The do have a patent for putting products into boxes. http://www.google.com/patents?id=tUzIAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=D596485&pg=PA3#v=onepage&q&f=false http://www.google.com/patents?id=tUzIAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&#38...
- NickPollard 15y ago
  Oh I give up. This whole patent situation has gone long past the state of 'severe problem' and is now into the phase of 'ludicrous farce, bordering on trolling'.
  - Steko 15y ago
    This is a design patent, not a utility patent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_patent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_patent
ashishgandhi 15y ago
Yeah, they may not have trademarks on these things (neither should they). But Samsung doing things exactly the same way as Apple after Apple doing it is by definition copying. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copy http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copy
Steko 15y ago
"Apple don't have a trademark on mains plugs" Correct it's a design patent not a trademark: http://i.imgur.com/5YKdT.jpg http://i.imgur.com/5YKdT.jpg
masklinn 15y ago
> The others are a matter of form following function. No they're not. There are a billion possible shapes for a USB power adapter for instance, getting within 1% of an exact match is not a coincidence.
siglesias 15y ago
>> putting the damn product in the damn box (seriously? This is considered copying?) There is a considerable amount of thought that goes into how a product is packaged an unpackaged. It is extraordinarily disingenuous to claim that all that is being copied here is "putting the damn product in the damn box." I can think of approximately 20-30 ways that a tablet can be packaged (and surely you've opened just as many products in your life time), and a five-sided cover revealing just the product is only one of them. It's a common theme emerging on HN that these trademark disputes constitute "obvious" design choices. It bears mentioning that it is possible to verify the solution of an NP problem in P time. That doesn't make the solution obvious.
- NickPollard 15y ago
  Bin packing algorithms don't have to be difficult when you have one object and one bin.
  - siglesias 15y ago
    When you have to think about an entire manufacturing process, your supply chain, how many you can ship at a time and for how much, the marketing implications, the user experience, concerns over crushing the device, concerns over crushing the box itself, etc, designing the packaging becomes a considerably more complex problem.
- nobleach 15y ago
  Yes I can imagine the decision conversation going something like this: Number 1: Sir, we just received word, Apple put their product in the box FACE UP! CEO: CRAP! Back to the drawing board. Note all staff, "product face up" has been done. It's tired, it's old. Yesterday's news.... now we have to try something totally different. (sorry for the trolling, couldn't resist the sarcastic approach. Yes it does look like Samsung totally did a workalike on this one.)
  - ashishgandhi 15y ago
    I know you were trying to be sarcastic but I'm sorry if you cannot think of other ways to pack a cell phone. Maybe Samsung is run by people just like these. A quick Google Images search displays quite a few ways it is actually being done. http://www.google.com/search?q=phone+packaging&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=gMmETtPwDoiJrAeU1LzSDA&ved=0CCcQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=614 http://www.google.com/search?q=phone+packaging&hl=en&#38...
tychobrahe 15y ago
I'd say that the sum is bigger than the parts when it comes to copying products. One or two things would be perfectly okay, everyone does that, in every market, but the accusations range from the packaging and peripherals to the core product and its interfaces... Sure you can split hairs and stuff, but it's not that simple.

johnbatch 15y ago

The do have a patent for putting products into boxes. http://www.google.com/patents?id=tUzIAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=D596485&pg=PA3#v=onepage&q&f=false http://www.google.com/patents?id=tUzIAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&#38...

NickPollard 15y ago
Oh I give up. This whole patent situation has gone long past the state of 'severe problem' and is now into the phase of 'ludicrous farce, bordering on trolling'.
- Steko 15y ago
  This is a design patent, not a utility patent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_patent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_patent

ashishgandhi 15y ago

Yeah, they may not have trademarks on these things (neither should they). But Samsung doing things exactly the same way as Apple after Apple doing it is by definition copying. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copy http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copy

Steko 15y ago

"Apple don't have a trademark on mains plugs" Correct it's a design patent not a trademark: http://i.imgur.com/5YKdT.jpg http://i.imgur.com/5YKdT.jpg

masklinn 15y ago

> The others are a matter of form following function. No they're not. There are a billion possible shapes for a USB power adapter for instance, getting within 1% of an exact match is not a coincidence.

siglesias 15y ago

>> putting the damn product in the damn box (seriously? This is considered copying?) There is a considerable amount of thought that goes into how a product is packaged an unpackaged. It is extraordinarily disingenuous to claim that all that is being copied here is "putting the damn product in the damn box." I can think of approximately 20-30 ways that a tablet can be packaged (and surely you've opened just as many products in your life time), and a five-sided cover revealing just the product is only one of them. It's a common theme emerging on HN that these trademark disputes constitute "obvious" design choices. It bears mentioning that it is possible to verify the solution of an NP problem in P time. That doesn't make the solution obvious.

NickPollard 15y ago
Bin packing algorithms don't have to be difficult when you have one object and one bin.
- siglesias 15y ago
  When you have to think about an entire manufacturing process, your supply chain, how many you can ship at a time and for how much, the marketing implications, the user experience, concerns over crushing the device, concerns over crushing the box itself, etc, designing the packaging becomes a considerably more complex problem.
nobleach 15y ago
Yes I can imagine the decision conversation going something like this: Number 1: Sir, we just received word, Apple put their product in the box FACE UP! CEO: CRAP! Back to the drawing board. Note all staff, "product face up" has been done. It's tired, it's old. Yesterday's news.... now we have to try something totally different. (sorry for the trolling, couldn't resist the sarcastic approach. Yes it does look like Samsung totally did a workalike on this one.)
- ashishgandhi 15y ago
  I know you were trying to be sarcastic but I'm sorry if you cannot think of other ways to pack a cell phone. Maybe Samsung is run by people just like these. A quick Google Images search displays quite a few ways it is actually being done. http://www.google.com/search?q=phone+packaging&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=gMmETtPwDoiJrAeU1LzSDA&ved=0CCcQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=614 http://www.google.com/search?q=phone+packaging&hl=en&#38...

tychobrahe 15y ago

I'd say that the sum is bigger than the parts when it comes to copying products. One or two things would be perfectly okay, everyone does that, in every market, but the accusations range from the packaging and peripherals to the core product and its interfaces... Sure you can split hairs and stuff, but it's not that simple.