http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/ Engadget Comments for RIM patents a QWERTY slider, HTC lawyers perk up their ears http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/checks the calander to see if it is April 01 already!]]>Feb 29th 2008 5:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 6:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 5:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Obligatory reference to getting a job at RIM... licky licky

]]>Feb 29th 2008 5:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Application published February 28, 2008.


Before the idiots chime in about the broken patent system, learn something.


You APPLY for a patent. You can APPLY for a lot of things. That does not mean that you are ISSUED a patent.


That said, after looking at the application, I'm not sure what their point of novelty is (i.e., what aspect of this device they think is new and worthy of protection). The 8125 does preceed their filing date by more than 1 year, so that's a reference that they can't swear behind.

Arguing that a trackball is different than a cursor should be interesting (failure).]]>Feb 29th 2008 5:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/
*Still chimes in about the broken patent system*

I vote for getting rid of the current patent system all together, and coming up with something new that actually works in the modern world.]]>Feb 29th 2008 9:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Mar 1st 2008 9:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/
Seriously, whether this patent is granted or not, it is still a sign of the problems with the system, that a company finds in necessary to throw the money away on attempting to patent something that they obviously know is a preexisting product. Companies don't for the most part, become profitable by throwing away money, so one can only assume that RIM thought there was at least $10,000 worth of a chance that they would be granted this patent, otherwise they would have been better of doing something like buying their stockholders $10,000 of lottery tickets.
]]>Mar 1st 2008 9:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/
No.
I'm saying that I do know how the current patent system works. Which is not very well. And that what you learned me doesn't even come close to changing my mind.
And I'm also not saying that I could come up with a better system. Just that the current one is broken and that is is not beyond the realms of possibility to come up with a system that doesn't stifle innovation/progress as badly.]]>Mar 1st 2008 1:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 5:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 5:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Mar 1st 2008 12:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 6:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 6:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 6:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 6:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 6:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Mar 13th 2008 8:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 8:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 8:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/
RIMjob

.]]>Feb 29th 2008 9:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/
they need to patent a WATER-FUCKING-PROOF blackberry.

yes. i have issues.

]]>Feb 29th 2008 10:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 11:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Feb 29th 2008 11:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/Mar 1st 2008 7:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/rim-patents-a-qwerty-slider-htc-lawyers-perk-up-their-ears/
I suppose, in a pinch (and primarily for North Americans) WinMob could be offered, but please lets get away from chiclets and virtual keyboards...]]>Mar 1st 2008 8:34AM