Whether or not you think the
Zune is a
fairly ho-hum media device, the one thing that's pretty agreeable is that its relatively subtle "doubleshot" casing -- where the edges have a translucent or different color than the rest of the plastics -- is unique, and the closest thing to an iconic aesthetic the Zune has right now. Potentially unfortunately for Microsoft, three days ago the USPTO published Apple patent application 20070048470, for "Housing of an electronic device formed by doubleshot injection molding". Filed August 16, 2005 by, among others, Johnny "iPhone" Ive himself, the process details a multiwall plastic-injected enclosure which, among other things, can be useful for for "forming internal features on the inside surfaces" -- like, say, alternate edge colors in the Zune, or the white and black-yet-clear plastics as seen in MacBooks and iMacs and iPods. So, in addition to that
per-Zune tariff Microsoft pays to Universal, is Apple about to join the list?
[Via
PC Pro, thanks Brian]
Update: As some of our more astute readers have pointed out, we don't yet know that this patent has actually been fully granted. It is, however, definitely published, and is still currently the only published patent in the USPTO database for the doubleshot plastic molding process.
posted March 4th 2007 1:49PM
No, there is no prior art for this technique. The Zune does not make use of it so it is not affected.
Prior art has to be prior. This patent APPLICATION (it's still an application, not a patent, and so it is a moving target as far as what it protects) was filed in August of 2005. I'm pretty sure Zune wasn't available then.
"Graphical environments"
Um, in all likelihood you're using a ripoff of OS X, which should tell you that, actually, MS has been able to get around Apple's careless legal filings in the past, and... *drumroll... Apple refuses to let it happen a second time.
Hence, the patent-mania.
And no, MS doesn't not get to 'share' Apple's ideas (like the iPhone stuff) since the cross-patent agreement was back in 1997 and, probably ran out about 2002 (5 years)
Meh... I'm a Mac and iPod user, and personally I think this application for a style design is fe a frivilous one - for some reason as of late, Apple's been acting with zeal defense, filing patents like looting a store during a major city disaster, and I don't know why.
Has Apple become so zealous as to apply for patents to reserve styling designs to avoid any competition at all? After all, that's what the market is and should be about: competition. Without competition, your game is boring, and you might just end up quitting after your product(s) become that of the last generation, unpopular and unused.
Geez, there are so many people commenting without bothering to learn what the patent is all about while not understanding plastics manufacturing at all.
Apple did not patent the double shot process. Also, this patent has little to do with the clear on translucent plastic on the iPod and iMac. They patented a specific method of the double shot process that allows constant thickness walls on a box or rectangular shape. The people at Apple are perfectionists so they want to create a product with the fewest seams and joints possible. Most other companies are just going to split the box into 2 pieces so this process and patent will not affect them at all.
Please. Do yourself a favor and take a couple of minutes to study this image from the patent. I believe it's the most important one because it shows the machine steps used to create a 1 piece box with constant thickness walls. The only other way to do this is to add a large draft, increasing thickness at the base: http://aiw2.uspto.gov:80/.DImg?Docid=us20070048470ki&PageNum=5&IDKey=5207500D0731&ImgFormat=tif
It may not make sense to people that don't do plastics design or manufacturing but as someone that does I can assure you that:
A: This is a valid patent.
B: The casing on the Zune does not make use of this method. The fact that it is in 2 pieces negates the need for this technique.
Yawn. Another patent talk involving apple. Zzzzzz.
Microsoft does have design originality... just people aren't looking at the right things. Microsoft keyboards RULE, for example(especially those comfort curve ones), and if I recall they have the scroll wheel patent.
and if I recall [MS] have the scroll wheel patent.
--
Yeah, and they love it so much they decided not to use it in the Zune.
Good stuff, buddy.
"Yeah, and they love it so much they decided not to use it in the Zune."
And your point??
"Yeah, and they love it so much they decided not to use it in the Zune.
Good stuff, buddy."
I think you're confusing scroll wheel with click wheel. A scroll wheel is most people's middle mouse button. A click wheel is what's on the iPod. Apart from both being based on circles the two have virtually nothing in common.
No, the Zune doesn't have a scroll wheel. Neither does the iPod. In fact, I can't think of any portable audio player that does.
Good stuff, buddy.
apple doesn't fucking deserve that patent neither does anyone else I'm tired of these retards trying to rope and trap any neat little design idea that comes up for fuck sakes I don't even think its possible to patent it but well I guess if those idiots at immersion can patent a force of motion people could so much as likely patent gravity
Black MacBooks are supposed to have a black-yet-clear skin? Since when? I've always seen black MacBooks as matté laptops, as opposed to white MacBooks. I mean, I should know, I have a blsack MacBook... it doesn't have anything clear on it other than... well, nothing.
@ Revrant2394:
"I've never seen anything like this on a Mac"
iPod nanos, iMacs and white MacBooks have this "Zune-like" doubleshot surface we've been talking about here. :)
My God! What have I done?
--Brian
This is why in the UK you can't get granted a patent for something that is not new to the art and certainly not something that is so in the public domain it yields 526,000 results on google.
Where does it say Apple is going to sue MS?
All this US patent office published something that was submitted almost 2 years ago. Apple did not publish it.
It's one thing to accuse Apple of doing something, but Apple hasn't done anything wrong, all they did was apply for a patent for something that they developed even before Zune was a thought in anyones mind.
So all of you MS apologist take that bunched up panty out of your ass and relax.
once a patent is granted - and the USPTO is as likely to find prior art as it is to develop a grand unified theory of physics - others can try to have it overturned.
which is where prior art comes into play. legally though this is an uphill battle. it's very difficult to do, may take years, and in the meantime the patent holder can put a stop on all sales of your purportedly infringing device.
that's why companies are more likely to settle.
hence, loads of patent troll companies, and the need to seriously overhaul the system.
recent example was RIM, a patent troll company managed to get a court order barring RIM from selling Blackberrys anywhere in the U.S. so RIM had to bend over and pay USD 700M to a company with no products...
Uhh guys, really Apple can't sue Microsoft, because Microsoft owns a large portion of Apple. Remember back in the day, Apple was on the verge of going bankrupt, so for Microsoft to NOT be a monopoly, they bought a portion of Apple to keep it alive. They are more friends than you might think, and i dont think Apple will ever sue Microsoft, or vice versa...
Steve Godds will do everyting and everything to rule the world, and some friendly backstabbing is not something he will stop at. Apple are the new Dark Side!
APEL MACS R BOAT ANKERZ N R PLAYSKOOL TOYZ N YOU KANY GET N E GUUD GAMEZ ON EM CUZ AWWWWWWWWWWWWL THE KEWL GAMEZ R 4 PEE CEES N PEE CEES R 4 BIZNISS N APPELL MAKCS R TOYS N GUUD 4 DOR STOPS N DELLZ N MICORSOFT ROKS CUZ THAAY R FAST N4 4 BUZINISS CUZ MY DAD SSEZ MAAKS SUK LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Notice both the Zune and the iPod BOTH HAVE SCREENS. GASP!! Microsoft SUXXX LOLOLOLOLOL THEY COPY APLE