I fully agree with you that the MagSafe utility patent is a paper tiger, but unfortunately in this case Apple still hold a design patent on the general MagSafe

I fully agree with you that the MagSafe utility patent is a paper tiger, but unfortunately in this case Apple still hold a design patent on the general MagSafe connector shape[0]. So anyone is free to make their own magnetic power connectors, it just can't have five pins in a line that matches the exact sizes that Apple has chosen. [0] http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/12/apple-wins-5-design-patents-covering-iphone-4-ipad-magsafe.html http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/12/apple-wi...