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 April 8th 2009 7:57AM
I'm not sure whether to give you chloroform to shut you up or alcohol to see what would happen.
I use both Apple/Mac and PC...While I do love my Mac for design work...right is right...if they stole an idea they should pay for the wrong doing.
Off topic: Also it's about time Apple drop those prices......my next upgrade would be when my current laptop dies or slows down too much.
@Beastage
"@ Skeezle , see being conscious consumer is not trolling... Apple customers should try that, will make the world a better (and cheaper) place."
No he is being a troll. Look_Around_You has already admitted to it. The world will be a better place when garbage trolls like you stop posting on the internet.
While I am an Apple user.
MacBook and iPod.
Apple's nasty way of so called protecting its patients annoys me.
Things like the Multi-touch and gestures on the iPhone should be protected, but only for the first 3 years from date released to market.
These 10 year patient rules on Cell Phone and Pmp patients technology sucks.
Wait, apple has patients? Is this a new name for iFanboyz?
Nah, I bought a G1 because I do not like the way Apple has locked down the iPhone
Doesnt microsoft have multitouch patents that predate apples? Isnt this this kind of stuff bill gates announced back in 2000?
yes :)
Wow! What a moron! Glad you represent the other side.
Apple isn't going any where, so maybe you should be the one getting the room to cry in?
And what is that atrocity is that pictured in your avatar? Cry in your room even more knowing that there are 4cylinder cars that will smoke that goofy ass looking joke mobile!
And here I though it was Chris Crocker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc
FYI i am the judge who will be hearing this case. and i will rule in favour of elan.
Obvious Apple troll. The "M$" gives it away.
It from Aliens. The best one IMO.
Ha Ha Ha Ha , that should teach them!
RT
www.anon-tools.cz.tc
Ok, I just got to get this off of my chest.
A simple article about a company getting sued somehow gives everyone the right to come out and start bashing heads on "fanboys". I have used OSX and Windows (3.1+) and they both have their stregths and weaknesses. If either Apple or Microsoft comes out with a better solution, I am going to hop on the bandwagon. But I am not going to impose my opinions on "fan boys".
Another point, so what if Apple was the last to the table. At least they got there, and are making some pretty great steps in the right direction. These days you almost have to partner with another company to deliver a great product. Everyone does it. They can not make everything in house. SO why does it matter if Apple bought some technology for their phone.
And PDA's have been around the block and back. How is Apple copying them? I bought a Newton before I even heard of the Dell Axim 50v. And I say, what is copied? Is it cause its small and shiny? I dont see any silver buttons on my iphone. Or is it the touch feature? Everyone is using it now. Go bash on how HP copied dell if this is a valid assumption.
Stop attacking just to attack.
People who use glass multi-touch trackpads and touchscreens shouldn't cast the first stone. It's an old adage; you'd think someone at Apple whould have heard it before. Okay. It's not the old saying, but someone at Apple should have seen this coming when they start writing up lawsuits.
Regarding Apple "stealing" technology - you ALL got it wrong. Apple, Amiga, Atari, Microsoft ALL "stole" the technology from XEROX PARC. I was a twenty something Mac and Amiga software developer when this all was happening and followed the action daily. They all copied it, they all improved on it, Apple was the only successful "True GUI" OS (Windows was a DOS graphics application, not an OS). I had development systems for Mac and Amiga (Mac was first, then Amiga copied to compete with the Mac Plus). Amiga had a better graphics engine and multitasking BUT EVERYTHING ELSE was inferior to Apple, especially the company behind the Amiga.
Amiga = Betamax
Mac = VHS
The saying back then (which is STILL TRUE) - Xerox invents it, Microsoft copies it, Apple perfects it for the mass market.
Omg lol this will be SO MUCH fun. I can't wait.
It seems to have escaped everyone's attention that the man himself Steve Jobs once paraphrased Picasso:
"Good artists copy, great artists steal"
Apple is no stranger to ripping off other companies' ideas. But then it's not alone there. Not so long ago Microsoft was lambasted for "stealing" Apple's ideas.
Every company does it, no one is innocent.
The thing that interests me is how can you patent a concept? I'm not an expert on patent law or anything, but surely if they reverse engineered multi touch (much like IBM's competitors did to their processors in the 80s) then there's not much ELAN can do about it?