6 ms·

You mean they are just a little less baseless than the patent for 'rounded corners'?

by piyush_soni 12y ago

nicky0 12y ago
Who has a patent for rounded corners?
- ljf 12y ago
  Apple. They have a design patent on a rectangle with rounded corners. http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/11/7/3614506/apple-patents-rectangle-with-rounded-corners http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/11/7/3614506/apple-patents-r...
stephenr 12y ago
Apple doesn’t have a patent for rounded corners. They have a design patent for the ornamental design of the iPad. Just like Google has design patents for the ornamental design of a smiley face, a usb cable, a “computer icon” etc etc. Just like Samsung has a design patent for the ornamental design of a "Terminal for portable mobile communication”, which based on the images looks like a tablet. In 1981 some company got a design patent for the ornamental design of a briefcase, with rounded corners. Please stop talking shit.
- JohnTHaller 12y ago
  D670,286 is, quite literally, a design patent on a rectangle with rounded corners (it's about the solid lines in the drawing). And they sued Samsung over it and Samsung was forced to make the rounded corners on the top and bottom of their phone different sizes. Despite the fact that multiple phones and tablets predated the iPad and iPhone and were rectangles with rounded corners.
  - stephenr 12y ago
    They sued samsung over a number of combined similarities: "Closely comparing Apple's patented design with Samsung's products reinforces the conclusion of substantial similarity. Samsung copied every major element of Apple's patented design: * a flat, clear, black-colored, rectangular front surface with four evenly rounded corners [emphasis mine]; * an inset rectangular display screen centered on the front surface that leaves very narrow borders on either side of the display screen and substantial borders above and below the display screen; and * a rounded, horizontal speaker slot centered on the front surface above the display screen, * where the rectangular front surface is otherwise substantially free of ornamentation outside of an optional button area centrally located below the display."
    - JohnTHaller 12y ago
      And ALL of that already existed in the marketplace before the iPhone. Heck, the things that are claimed to be unique in what you quote above is an almost exact description of the LG Prada which came out before the iPhone. Seriously, look at this a moment: http://i.imgur.com/iBD3A1z.jpg http://i.imgur.com/iBD3A1z.jpg Remove the phone answer/end keys from the bottom row, and it basically is the front of the iPhone. Re-read what you wrote above and look at that picture of the LG Prada. That design patent should have never been issued.
      - fleitz 12y ago
        Apple was not saying that Samsung had a similar design, they were saying that Samsung had the SAME design. Which was nicely proved when even Samsung's lawyers couldn't tell the difference.
      - stephenr 12y ago
        Its not about whether those individual attributes existed already. Samsung blatantly copied apple product designs, from the physical appearance of the device, to the design of the packaging right down to the design of the chargers and cables. This is not speculation, it's fact. I don't deny that most modern smartphones, including the iPhone, look vaguely similar to that LG. No way you would confuse them for the same product though. Now look at this image: http://i.imgur.com/TmUj2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/TmUj2.jpg This isn't some case of "oh but Apple's design is obvious how can it not be the same?" This is Samsung's business model. Motorola RAZR (copied Samesung Blade) - even the name is a pun on the fact that its a copy (hint: razor blade) Blackberry (copied as Samsung BlackJack) - again the even the name is a ridiculous rip off. This one went to court and funnily enough RIM won. Samsung Innov8 (copied from Nokia N96) In 2012 Samsung released their Chromebox, which copies the circular cover on the 2 year old MacMini. The MacMini has it there to allow RAM upgrades. The ChromeBox has no reason for it, besides copying the MacMini design. In their advertising they have a history of either reproducing Apple ads (e.g. the way a phone and the earbuds are arranged). In one case, they literally photoshopped the iOS Google Maps app onto their own device. Their "iRemote Control 4" is a ridiculously blatant copy of the iPhone 4 Do a quick search for "Dyson Samsung clone" There is no question that Samsung copies it's competitors designs, packaging and advertising. Apple was granted a design patent and used that in its fight with Samsung. Show me a case where Apple has used its design patent against a competitor that is not obviously trying to blatantly copy their devices?

You mean they are just a little less baseless than the patent for 'rounded corners'?

nicky0 12y ago

Who has a patent for rounded corners?

ljf 12y ago
Apple. They have a design patent on a rectangle with rounded corners. http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/11/7/3614506/apple-patents-rectangle-with-rounded-corners http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/11/7/3614506/apple-patents-r...

stephenr 12y ago

Apple doesn’t have a patent for rounded corners. They have a design patent for the ornamental design of the iPad. Just like Google has design patents for the ornamental design of a smiley face, a usb cable, a “computer icon” etc etc. Just like Samsung has a design patent for the ornamental design of a "Terminal for portable mobile communication”, which based on the images looks like a tablet. In 1981 some company got a design patent for the ornamental design of a briefcase, with rounded corners. Please stop talking shit.

JohnTHaller 12y ago
D670,286 is, quite literally, a design patent on a rectangle with rounded corners (it's about the solid lines in the drawing). And they sued Samsung over it and Samsung was forced to make the rounded corners on the top and bottom of their phone different sizes. Despite the fact that multiple phones and tablets predated the iPad and iPhone and were rectangles with rounded corners.
- stephenr 12y ago
  They sued samsung over a number of combined similarities: "Closely comparing Apple's patented design with Samsung's products reinforces the conclusion of substantial similarity. Samsung copied every major element of Apple's patented design: * a flat, clear, black-colored, rectangular front surface with four evenly rounded corners [emphasis mine]; * an inset rectangular display screen centered on the front surface that leaves very narrow borders on either side of the display screen and substantial borders above and below the display screen; and * a rounded, horizontal speaker slot centered on the front surface above the display screen, * where the rectangular front surface is otherwise substantially free of ornamentation outside of an optional button area centrally located below the display."
  - JohnTHaller 12y ago
    And ALL of that already existed in the marketplace before the iPhone. Heck, the things that are claimed to be unique in what you quote above is an almost exact description of the LG Prada which came out before the iPhone. Seriously, look at this a moment: http://i.imgur.com/iBD3A1z.jpg http://i.imgur.com/iBD3A1z.jpg Remove the phone answer/end keys from the bottom row, and it basically is the front of the iPhone. Re-read what you wrote above and look at that picture of the LG Prada. That design patent should have never been issued.
    - fleitz 12y ago
      Apple was not saying that Samsung had a similar design, they were saying that Samsung had the SAME design. Which was nicely proved when even Samsung's lawyers couldn't tell the difference.
    - stephenr 12y ago
      Its not about whether those individual attributes existed already. Samsung blatantly copied apple product designs, from the physical appearance of the device, to the design of the packaging right down to the design of the chargers and cables. This is not speculation, it's fact. I don't deny that most modern smartphones, including the iPhone, look vaguely similar to that LG. No way you would confuse them for the same product though. Now look at this image: http://i.imgur.com/TmUj2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/TmUj2.jpg This isn't some case of "oh but Apple's design is obvious how can it not be the same?" This is Samsung's business model. Motorola RAZR (copied Samesung Blade) - even the name is a pun on the fact that its a copy (hint: razor blade) Blackberry (copied as Samsung BlackJack) - again the even the name is a ridiculous rip off. This one went to court and funnily enough RIM won. Samsung Innov8 (copied from Nokia N96) In 2012 Samsung released their Chromebox, which copies the circular cover on the 2 year old MacMini. The MacMini has it there to allow RAM upgrades. The ChromeBox has no reason for it, besides copying the MacMini design. In their advertising they have a history of either reproducing Apple ads (e.g. the way a phone and the earbuds are arranged). In one case, they literally photoshopped the iOS Google Maps app onto their own device. Their "iRemote Control 4" is a ridiculously blatant copy of the iPhone 4 Do a quick search for "Dyson Samsung clone" There is no question that Samsung copies it's competitors designs, packaging and advertising. Apple was granted a design patent and used that in its fight with Samsung. Show me a case where Apple has used its design patent against a competitor that is not obviously trying to blatantly copy their devices?