Apple facing patent lawsuit over iPhone keyboard
By Donald Melanson 
posted Aug 6th 2007 5:47PM
posted Aug 6th 2007 5:47PM
It may be a little slow out of the gate, but Florida-based SP Technologies is now taking aim at Apple over the iPhone's touchscreen keyboard, claiming that it infringes on a patent it has held since 2004. According to MacNN, that patent describes a "method and medium for computer readable keyboard display incapable of user termination," and the company is saying that Apple was "willful and deliberate" in its alleged infringement of it. As a result, SP Technologies is demanding that Apple pay "reasonable royalties" for each iPhone already sold, along with an injunction to prevent any further use of the allegedly offending intellectual property by Apple. No word on a next move but, as with most of these lawsuits, it'll be up to a federal court in Texas to sort things out.
[Via TUAW]
[Via TUAW]
Apple didnt have to reinvent the keypad.. thumbpads have been around for years, and they WORK! and you can use two thumbs at a time.
This is what happens when you patent every little whim. And yes, Apple's included.
These onscreen keyboards have been on Windows Mobile for years. I had one on my Dell Axim X5 back in the day.
What the heck? I thought they only gave out patents for things that work.
Hey Check other sites, the person that is suing them is a fraud with a criminal record. He has sued companies previously regarding patents
Engadget has been slacking as of late -- this story hit the wires last week.
Come on, it's summer! Ryan and the guys need to enjoy the sun too.
Incapable of use termination? Can someone explain this part to me? The way I interpret it is that the user is incapable of "closing" the keyboard or "making it go away." Which is not true for the iPhone. I can open and close it at will.
Please, if I am misunderstanding this part, do explain it to me.
I believe it means that the user can't make the keyboard go away and still have the screen that requires entry still visible. You can only 'teminate the keyboard' by pressing cancel which terminates the screen or pressing send which also terminates the screen
My ancient HP iPaq has that too ... where'd these guys come from?
Dave: I was thinking the same thing, but you can turn the Text Input box on and off using the icon on the lower right.
Read the actual patent claims. Engadget/TUAW's post is misleading (as is typical of tech sites on patent issues): the patent doesn't cover all "methods and media for computer readable keyboard display incapable of user termination", but only a very particular, specific type thereof.
According to the patent, what makes SP Technologies' keyboard unique is...
"A still further feature of the present invention is the provision of an input area which may not be removed by the user."
So this doesn't apply to Apple's iPhone since users can remove the keyboard via "cancel" button.
This'll be thrown away by court in a flash.
I think the patent is based on holding the key and having it prop up and display the key your holding on.
then they would be suing nintendo as well.. the keyboard on the Wii is very similar...
WTF doesn't windows mobile have an onscreen keyboard? Everyone has to sue Apple...
Everyone sues everyone over patents lately.. starting to dislike it. Most are just people who have a way to general patent..
I think hardware vendors are to blame.
One of the things that comes from depending on hardware vendors to do it right.
The Newton also had an onscreen keyboard. If anyone rules this more than an "obvious follow-up" to an existing Apple technology I'd be surprised.
Time to fix our infrastructure. The real reason bridges collapse is because too many patent trolls live under them...
nah, the real reason bridges fall down is b/c the technology to hold them up is all patented, so the bridge maker had to make something up that doesn't work. b/c everything that does work is patented.
(obviously joking, but this is where technology is going)
Patents are slung around only when successful products are launched. :)
Gawd another stupid lawsuit. Enough already.
Time to drop a nuke on a little town in Texas, me thinks.
I wonder if SP Technologies will demand the destruction of all iPhones, a la PS3's most recent patent lawsuit.
FCC patents are useless.
So who owns the patent for the little plastic keyboard on Blackberrys, Motorola Q's, and Samsung Blackjacks?
I think it's time for gadget-makers to boycott Texas until that state fixes its patent-friendly legislation.
And it's time for congress to fix the patent system, I think they are on it already: If two independent experts state that a patent is obvious then it is, and it's a goner.
It costs $5000 to file a patent == nothing in a company budget, even the most ridiculous patents get granted, and it's incredibly hard to defend against a patent lawsuit - hence all the trolls. Time to send them back to their caves.
I just invented a single buttoned, movement detecting device that allows the user to interact with what is displayed on screen.
I think I'll sue apple as well.
Too bad Richard Brodie's universal input system is too weird assed for most people. I mean, old women may scream and little children may cry and stuff, you know.
Ah, lolpatents.
I CAN HAS ROYALTEEZ?
I'M IN UR PORTFOLIO
INFRINGING UR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Wow. The patent was filed in 2000. I don't know about other PDA's, but the first Palm Pilot came out in 1996.
Read the patent abstract and you'd probably agree that they have no chance of winning. Although the attorneys will make a boat load duking it out. I could kick myself for not going to law school and becoming a patent attorney (stupid worthless computer science degree ;-).
Im glad that the "obvious" characterization is used to evaluate patents. Im an aspiring inventor/engineer, Id rather not invent something thats already patented by a law firm. The legal system needs to make a serious reform of patent law. I dont care if they shorten the life of a patent, just make sure patent trolls are extinct.