Remember all the fun everyone had watching Palm and Apple's legal
wordplay regarding multitouch patents? If you missed it, Apple delivered a very thinly veiled threat to Palm, flouting how it had touch-sensitive intellectual rights up the wazoo to protect itself from the competition. Apple, though, may be due for a heaping helping of humble pie, as it's now on the receiving end of a lawsuit from Elan Microelectronics claiming infringement on two patents -- both involving multitouch.
Elan, best known for its keypads found in Eee PCs everywhere (along with some other
diversions), won a court injunction against
Synaptics for infringement on one of those patents, and seems like it may actually have a shot of shaking down the house of Jobs. It's also seeking an injunction against Apple to prevent it from selling the MacBook, iPhone, and iPod Touch until everything gets legally sorted. That seems like a long-shot, but anything could happen. Oh, and Palm corporate officers, try not to look too giddy today, yeah?
Read -- Apple sued over touch-screen rights
Read -- Injunction quote [Warning: requires subscription]
posted Apr 8th 2009 7:57AM
Now watch the Apple fans all of a sudden hate the idea of suing someone for using multi-touch.
Oh, and they will say really nasty things about this company too.
Nah, they'll just say nasty things about the usual gang of trolls (yourself included) that can't help themselves from posting on every single Apple post.
I'm wondering why Palm execs would be giddy...seems to me they'd be shaking in their shoes of being next in line...and THEY can't afford many more lawsuits.
@ Skeezle , see being conscious consumer is not trolling... Apple customers should try that, will make the world a better (and cheaper) place.
Apple is the ultimate "me too" company.
Yeah, I dont post in every Apple story, thanks.
But Elan posts? I'm so there.
@FishyPops
Are you kidding me? If your gonna throw around the ol' "me too" line, at least state your reason as to why.
@postal dude
He's likely being ironic because the "me too" line is a favorite of Apple fanboys when they go on their "everyone is stealing Apple's ideas" crusade.
Lately they have been covering for Apple saying that adopting ideas from other companies is a good thing.
Hey guys, Skeezle's userpage isn't set to private! Quick, before he does this, go take a look at his comments!
GO ELAN, GOOOOOOO
@Postal Dude,
you seem to me a switched on type of chap. do I really have to list this out for you. Here's a few:
1. Apple, the last company in the world ? to adopt intel processors.
2. Apple, the company that insists that it invented even the concept of multi-touch. (according to the fan boys).
3. Apple copied the design of the Dell Axim 50v.
4. Apple the last company in the world to copy a right click.
5. Apple the last company in the world to contract LG for its monitor technology.
6. Apple the last company in the world to come out with a phone.
7. Apple the last company in the world to have a netbook... wait for it ....
8. OSX = UNIX + front end
9. Apple third last company in the world to come out with a DAP.
10. Apple, the last company in the world to admit that what it makes is a "Personal Computer"... wait for it.....
11. Apple the last company in the world to actually write an application.
12. Apple... "Oh lets see what businesses want TOO...."
Gosh, I could go on..... but isn't it true... Apple is the "ultimate" last to the table, "me too".
And now, the very thing that Apple is finally trumpeting as theirs and theirs alone, (even though they bought it and didn't invent it), turns out to be COPIED, PIRATED, STOLEN...
me too.
@fishypops: Good point on the design being ripped off from the Axim 50v... I gotta get my Axim x30 up and running again.
@FishyPops
Get over yourself.
And... Axim X30? Have you not heard of the Newton?
Observation: Apple haters outnumber Apple fanboys at least 10:1
@Nikster
Yep. Not only that, but they're a far more malicious breed than others. I find it funny that the only people you hear saying Apple invented everything are the douches above. iEye doesn't count, his sole purpose was to fan the flames, I hate him as much as anyone else. Paul A. Chapel... alright I'll give you that one.
Listen, I'm an Apple fan, and I know Apple isn't perfect, and hasn't invented everything. Cut it out with that stupid bullshit already.
@Matt: So I should just throw out my 624Mhz x30 because its dated and you say so? It's actually pretty powerful despite what you purport. I think that I will use it as an additional display or a IR remote for my home theatre. Have you heard of an ipod 60G photo? Right, your mentality says its good for shit, and I should toss it in the garbage because I have a Zune now. Your logic is brilliant Then again, why should I care what a 16 yr old mac-fanboy thinks. :-/
@fieldcar
How in the hell did you deduce that from my comment above? I said no such thing.
FishyPops was insinuating that Apple copied Dell's Axim X30 with the iPhone. The X30 came out in 2004, while the Newton is what... 15 years old? I never said anything negative about the X30, it's probably quite a powerful PDA. I seriously do not know how you got all of that from my post.
I meant to say Axim 50v... not X30. Still, It's more than a stretch to say Apple copied either of these with the iPhone, the Newton argument still stands.
You do post in EVER single fucking apple post, don't even pretend you don't. How are you not banned yet?
this is so frustrating. apple suing palm, elan suing apple. MS is holding forums about multi touch gestures. Aren't some ideas just intuitive? multi touch is a great idea, good for everyone, now lets get over it already and keep on innovating!
I love it how these companies and their lawyers wait for products to become successful BEFORE they file suits.
@FishyPops
adding to the apple list...
(n) apple is also the last company to profit on cellphones and daps and still in the black and not red
@Freakin Ijit
What other lawsuits have Palm faced? Also, the technology of Palms multi-touch is dissimilar to the multi-touch Apple uses. In fact, the company which created the multi-touch for the Palm Pre, developed their technology back in the 80's.
what with all these hate on apple or apple fans? you people seem to want apple to fail and cease to exist. stupid nerds.
Apple-bashers are so cute; don't they get the irony of bashing in Apple-centric threads?
Ah, the jealousy and shaky reasoning ("me too"... compelling empirical evidence so spot-on) can overwhelm so fairly.
It begs the question, why don't you just get an Apple product and then post from an informed viewpoint? Then, maybe we'll take you seriously. And no, arguments lack of copy/paste in earlier iPhone versions does not == the company terrible.
FishyPops - the ONLY people who say Apple tries to claim being the first to the table with new technologies are the "Apple haters". Apple has NEVER made "bleeding edge" their motto, it's always been "it just works". They're known for taking already existing technologies that have an established demand and making them better. Think of them like Wendy's. They're never the first fast food chain in town, they look for successful McDonalds and BK's then come in with their higher quality products.
And as far as this story goes, Palm execs are pissing themselves right now at the thought of another potentially huge lawsuit before their product is even released. Their sales have slowed to a complete standstill with everyone knowing the Pre is coming out and investors can only be talked out of so much money. Ff precedent is set with the Apple case, they might as well start the bankruptcy process right not.
apple fan boys kick ass
Axim 50v vs Apple iPhone design
To correct some people who did not read my comment correctly...
I said that that Apple copied the design of the Axim 50v.
Below is proof:
http://www.37signals.com/svn/images/campfire-iphone.jpg
compared with
the dell:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/27/57817077_281cb31c5e.jpg?v=0
Apple copied the design.
utahnkid
Please do some research first. Apple has claimed that true multitasking was Apples baby, Automator was Apples baby, Core Graphics/Audio/etc was Apples baby... in fact the list can go on for hours.
In fact every one of these, and so so so many others were directly ripped from the carcass of the Amiga. The platform that once outsold Apple machines worldwide. The platform that Mac users used to taunt with accusations like "no user can do more than one thing at a time, so multitasking is just a gimmick", "If you have a faster CPU you do not need to move the workload onto the graphics and sound chips", and "Why would you want to automate tasks? Macros work just as well.".
In fact Automator is still a pathetic shadow of what AREXX was on the Amiga. REXX was invented by IBM, but it took the multitasking abilities of the Amiga to make it a single machine system.
And what Apple has not claimed as its own invention, it has just quietly copied... even newer features like multiple screen interface... Where did that appear first? The Amigas Workbench had infinite (limited only by memory) draggable screens.
The Amiga is not the only place Apple has been stealing from... but it is the most blatant. Interesting for a system that Mac users swore was useless BECAUSE of the features they now covet.
and so what if apple did really copy anyone? to the general public or normal people, no one really cares. they care for the product itself. the difference is that apple can sell it, those copied off products seem to have failed because no one seems to notice it.
look at the number of iphones sold or its popularity since it was made, it is successful. if you don't like the product, thats too bloody bad, your opinion doesnt matter, there is enough people who like it to be successful product.
(btw, the comparison to the axim, wow really? all i see similar is it has a screen and buttons, you must not know anything about design)
@Fishypops
HAHAHA! You are a funny man! .... at least I assume you MUST be joking about the Dell Axim vs iPhone post as your own evidence contradicts your assertion!
They look NOTHING like each other and are clearly displaying very different UI features. For starters the Dell has hardware buttons for certain tasks like e-mail whereas the iPhone has only a 'home' button. Then there's the fact the Dell has a resistive touchscreen designed for a stylus as opposed to the capacitive touchscreen on the iPhone designed for fingers. The list goes on.
In favour of your argument : They both have a screen and both are portable / handheld devices. Apart from that I cannot find anything in common with these two devices.
Guess Elan are lucky you aren't arguing their case ... it would be laughed out of court!!
Keep up the comedy though, you never know : someone from Channel 4 might ask you to write a sitcom or something. ;)
I wanna sue walmart for stealing my idea of selling stuff at low prices
Did you file a patent? Let alone getting an approval.
Apple stole my idea for selling stuff at high prices.
GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BITCH!
+1
Ok, excuse my ignorance, but what movie is that from??
Aliens. Best. Movie. Ever!
Aliens...part 3 I think.
1) Alien
2) Aliens
3) Alien3
4) Alien Resurrection
And here I though it was Chris Crocker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc
It from Aliens. The best one IMO.
Oh, the very idea that Apple could do something that infringes on another companies patents!
what goes around comes around
Actually, lawsuits tend to come around no matter what goes around. One of life's great mysteries.
Ah, the napalm.
I love the smell of Napalm with Self-Sabotaging Action Burn In the morning.
Elan+0
Apple -1
Ridley +1
Sorry, it has to be said... Ridley +1 ???
RiPley +1 maybe.
If you were shooting for the director, it was James. Then again, with just one letter off, it could have been a typo, so what do I know? ;)
"My mommy always said there were no monsters. No real ones. But there are."
"She's right Newt, they're called lawyers".
I get Ridley and Ripley confused. Partly because the Nintendo franchise Metroid, which was heavily inspired by Alien, named the main antagonist Ridley as a tribute to Ripley.
@ DeoWulf: Doesn't help that Ridley Scott directed the first Alien either. :)
Actually, it's more of a gamble on Elan's part. Apple are very experienced when it comes to patent law.
Looking at their financial statements, it looks like Q308 (the latest) net income is down 58% YOY. Q208 net income was down 36% YOY. This looks like the company may be strapped for cash and suing everybody they can to bolster their revenue in any way.
Elan was also registered on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange in September 2001 (http://emops.twse.com.tw/emops_all.htm code 2548). Meanwhile, Wayne Westerman, who started Fingerworks which was then acquired by Apple, wrote a dissertation on multi-touch dating back to 1999 (http://www.ece.udel.edu/~westerma/main.pdf). It is unlikely that Elan has any patents predating Westerman's description of multi-touch surfaces and gestures (which include descriptions of, for example, contracting and rotating the hand to scale and rotate content).
Again, this is 5 minutes of research, but it seems incredible that Elan have a proper case against Apple. Synaptics are a much smaller and much newer (listed 2002) company than Apple. Apple have patents going way back, and the money to fight them over something as important as multi-touch.