Apple patent games continue

[Mopetar]

So Apple hasn't been granted a patent on rounded corners, what's this then?

Patent #: D670,286

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1701443/USD670286S1.pdf


Brian

One is a design patent, the other isn't. They are very different things and the rules governing them are very different. To say that Apple owns rounded corners is a gross over simplification, much like claiming that this new patent gives Apple ownership of curved screens.

 

[PowerYoga]

does it matter? "Ownership", validity of the patents and infringement is up to the courts to decide after apple sues samsung or vice versa.

 

[Commodus]

The very start of the thread got things off on the wrong foot.

A lot of people forget that many patents (including this curved screen example) describe specific techniques, not generic concepts. Odds are that LG and Samsung won't have much to worry about, because Apple didn't patent the notion of a curved screen.

The truth is that Apple's patents are frequently more complicated than that, even if they're still too vague at times. Claims that the company patented round corners or curved screens are primarily attempts to shoehorn its actions into a partisan narrative (Apple is pure evil, Google/Samsung/etc. are innocent doves forced to fight back). Is Apple using patents to slow down its competition? You bet. But it's not arguing for a monopoly on smartphone design; it's a mixture of sour grapes with some legitimate concerns about copying, primarily on Samsung's part.

 

[jpeyton]

Curved touch surfaces? Lame. LG and Samsung already have curved phones out, and nobody is interested.

Foldable screens are the next big thing, and Apple is years behind Samsung on that front. Foldable screens will have incredible shatter resistance, and you can unfold a smartphone-sized screen into a tablet-sized screen, replacing two devices without worrying about pocket-ability.

But hey, Apple is used to paying Samsung for the best quality components anyway, so there's a workaround.

 

[lopri]

I hate to beat a dead horse but somehow these patent news revolves around Apple (and Rambus) so here is another one today.

Apple granted patent for head-mounted display

Apple has patented a head-mounted display that looks a little bit like the Oculus Rift. U.S. patent number 8,605,008 was granted yesterday and first spotted by Patently Apple. The application was filed way back in 2008, so it pre-dates a lot of the augmented and virtual reality headgear we've seen lately.

The primary blame goes to our dysfunctional patent system first, and shameless corporate managements and their lawyer castes. Congress passed a "reform" law last week that virtually did nothing to fix this nonsense. (bi-partisanly, if I may add)