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ITC bans some HTC phones found infringing on Apple patent

sciwizam

sciwizam

Golden Member
http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/19/2647362/apple-wins-ban-of-htc-devices-itc

The United States International Trade Commission just ruled in favor of Apple in its case against HTC and banned the importation and sale of HTC Android devices running Android 1.6 to 2.2, including the Sprint Evo 4G, Verizon Droid Incredible, AT&T Aria, and T-Mobile G2.
....
the ban itself will go into effect on April 19, 2012 to provide HTC with a transition period
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HTC says they have workarounds, Apple says stop stealing from us.

I say we thank Apple for transitioning everyone to at least 2.3 Gingerbread. 😉
 
Not a big deal. The patent in question can either be worked around or outright excluded since it's nothing show stopping. Realistically, there aren't many software patents that can't be worked around in one way or another and by the time everything has been resolved the industry will have probably moved on to something else.
 
Mopetar said:
Not a big deal. The patent in question can either be worked around or outright excluded since it's nothing show stopping. Realistically, there aren't many software patents that can't be worked around in one way or another and by the time everything has been resolved the industry will have probably moved on to something else.
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the only patent that was ruled an infringement was the weakest one there. the one about basically taking text contents and based on whats there making a link (like say a phone number to a dialer).

i bet they could get that overturned eventually as it is.
 
hans007 said:
the only patent that was ruled an infringement was the weakest one there. the one about basically taking text contents and based on whats there making a link (like say a phone number to a dialer).

i bet they could get that overturned eventually as it is.
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Why bother? It would probably just be cheaper at this point to pay a developer to work around it in a few weeks than to pay lawyers to spend months pushing it through court.
 
senseamp said:
How much in legal fees has been spent to ban essentially nothing?
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That was my first thought too. Millions of dollars in legal wrangling and tax payer funded courts to come to this conclusion is almost laughable. Especially since its already been 'resolved' in 2.3 and up. Anything older than 2.2 should be replaced anyway, and any 'current' 2.2 phone could easily have a maintenance release pushed.

Point though, this patent is for a technical method of turning data into a link, not the act itself. Apple clearly doesn't own a patent for opening an application when something is clicked.
 
I believe the patent is narrower - not so much a link; but activating that link by taping it. I really have to wonder how these things get patents (imho - i'm no lawyer) the patent office is too liberal in granting patnets and it is a dis-service to everyone. Btw apple is probably stealing as much from android these days (like notification pull down) as android from apple; the thing is that it is much easier for apple to sue. Apple has a history of copying other folks itnerfaces (ala mac copy of xeorx) so I find this attitude somewhat weird - and while it might be personal it would not surprise me if money/domain plays a role (after all apple does not want to become the next rim). As I said I'm not a lawyer but i think apple is setting a very dangerous course that could tie up many companies (esp tech companies) in the legal system for years.

hans007 said:
the only patent that was ruled an infringement was the weakest one there. the one about basically taking text contents and based on whats there making a link (like say a phone number to a dialer).

i bet they could get that overturned eventually as it is.
Click to expand...
 
You have to question apples strategy in comparison to microsofts. At the end of the day both of thier suits have mostly meaningless or obvious patents but the difference is microsoft knows this and is offering an 'easy' exit with licencing while apple slowly gets their patents thrown out, and having the courts release tgeir major patents to common use.
 
In this case probably both. Historically the industry (esp major players) have not been patent sue happy. Recently companies that troll are the worse (I'm not sure i like the idea that you can sue for a patent which (a) you acquire second hand (b) you have no active product that uses that patent (c) you have no intention to have an active product using that patent
(c is not really important here but whatever)
-
Then again it is the patent office that is allowing one to sue. The idea of suing for a patent for which you have no product might be worse but the whole thing kind of stinks.

Fingolfin269 said:
Who is really to blame here? The people who issue the patents or the people who try to defend the patents they were issued?
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hans007 said:
the only patent that was ruled an infringement was the weakest one there. the one about basically taking text contents and based on whats there making a link (like say a phone number to a dialer).

i bet they could get that overturned eventually as it is.
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O really, my Nokia phones have had that functionality since as long as I remember. Time for Nokia to sue Apple for infringement.
 
Oyeve said:
Wow, just when you think a company cannot be more of a fucking douchebag this comes up. I cant possibly hate apple more. Rot in hell steve, ya douche. The fat boy is next.
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I find it laughable that you think Apple is the only company that does this.
Try building a search engine that infringes on Google's "page rank" patent and see what happens.

Every company is doing this because it is in their interest to protect their intellectual property. I am sure that if you came up with something original and you patented it, you would want to benefit from your hard work - especially if another company shamelessly ripped you off.
 
Patranus said:
I find it laughable that you think Apple is the only company that does this.
Try building a search engine that infringes on Google's "page rank" patent and see what happens.

Every company is doing this because it is in their interest to protect their intellectual property. I am sure that if you came up with something original and you patented it, you would want to benefit from your hard work - especially if another company shamelessly ripped you off.
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Laugh all you want, they are still an asshole company and they prove it everyday. There was a time that the iphone couldnt do a phone call and application at the same time. Whats next? A patent on sound? A patent on "our vibrating wheel sins to the left, therefore we invented it, all other phone vibrators must turn right".
 
As much as I like a MacBookAir, I simply refuse to give Apple any of my money while they are using it to sue using BS patents to try to limit my choices.
 
Oyeve said:
Laugh all you want, they are still an asshole company and they prove it everyday. There was a time that the iphone couldnt do a phone call and application at the same time. Whats next? A patent on sound? A patent on "our vibrating wheel sins to the left, therefore we invented it, all other phone vibrators must turn right".
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And there you go completely ignoring the fact that apple isn't the only company that does it. Google does it too, but you will continue to ignore that. I guess apple should be the only company burned at the stake in your eyes
 
Oyeve said:
Laugh all you want, they are still an asshole company and they prove it everyday. There was a time that the iphone couldnt do a phone call and application at the same time. Whats next? A patent on sound? A patent on "our vibrating wheel sins to the left, therefore we invented it, all other phone vibrators must turn right".
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Huh?

I bought an iPhone 2G and could receive emails while on the phone........
 
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