Apple granted design patent for original iPhone, iPod touch
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 13th 2010 12:58PM
posted April 13th 2010 12:58PM
Apple may have enough patents and patent applications to wallpaper its entire Cupertino campus, but we're guessing this is one it's been especially eager to get: a design patent for the original iPhone and iPod touch. That, of course, covers the "ornamental design" of the devices and not their functionality, which means that any other devices that look a little too similar are now treading on even more dangerous territory than before. As with other Apple patents, you'll find Jonathan P. Ives and Steve (no "P") Jobs listed among the fourteen inventors, and you'll also find plenty of references to earlier patents and other relevant devices -- including a pointer to none other than one of our posts on the infamous Meizu M8.
[Thanks, Fabian]
[Thanks, Fabian]
@Aqualung
Also Jobs should have patented his outfit...and the round shape of his glasses.
@Bobot And his procedure of getting a transplant, and his love of secrecy.
@Bobot Yeah, the asshole in chief Jobs should patent that stupid fuly turtle neck of his!
@Aqualung
You guys are as bitter as you are misinformed. Don't you realize that it is commonplace for companies to obtain design patents on popular products? It is quite likely his glasses are covered by a design patent, as is the coke bottle (which also holds a trademark), the design of the stapler on your desk, and so on.
Why are you so bitter and vitriolic when Apple does exactly what EVERY one of its competitors also does, as well as almost all other companies that sell products of any type?
Is it that you hate Apple that much, or that you are simply too lazy and misinformed to do even a modicum of research into a topic (patent law) which you rant and rave about so often?
@DigDug
Nonsense being "commonplace" or accepted doesn't alter the fact that it's nonsense.
@DigDug
I don't think its a commonplace...just count how many topics we read each month about Apple's stupid patents and how many about the patents of other companies. I 'm not talking about this site only... Jobs tries to get everything he can to control the market...this is not so commonplace. Only Apple has the nerve to do it continuously over anything they can think of...
@Tony Montana Problem is Tony, that assholes is making tons more money then you are because he is tons more smarter then you are. Sad isn't it??
@Bobot 2 reasons. 1. This site is covering Apple's patents much more then any other company. 2. Apple is a innovative company and they are not busy copying others hard work.
@Eli Haj
Dang, now people are confusing patent law with copyright law. Up 'til now it has only been a complete misunderstanding of design vs. utility patents.
It's like having a bunch of 6th grade biology students commenting on a cardiothoracic surgery blog.
Who cares?
These designs are old and tired.
And to be honest, I've always thought these designs were very boring and quite ugly.
It's a rectangular brick... Not that exciting.
@Johnny Rockets agreed, old and tired. This should help only push for further development of mobile devices and design experimentation.
@DigDug lol very little actually know what they're talking about on here. All they do is compare phones to bricks and fast food restaurants. And then claim the patent system doesn't have any idea what they are doing. Good job professionals..give me some more analogies about bricks and food.
It was refreshing to read he comments of those prada lg and meizu m8 lovers from that other post. They bashed Apple and boosted wince. You people still cheer for vaporware. What a pity.
All smartphones look like the drawing
It's a slab with a screen. It's next to impossible to make something "not similar".
Might I remind us all that this form factor had prior art, one of the most recent just prior to iPhone, being the LG prada which won international design awards. Prior art + public note.
The form factor isn't yours Apple/Ives and the only thing that can be claimed as yours is the exact shape of the surves around the device, the design of the mono-button (inclusive of) placement and that is ALL you can claim. And for the patent to hold up, someone would have to do almost a 100% design rip, right down to materials usage.
maybe Motorola should patent the flip phone and the candybar style phone... Which by the way was the first of this form factor..apple simply replaced real buttons with virtual ones
I'm sick of reading all the anti iPhone crap all the time... Do I have an iPhone? Yes. Why? Because it is the best phone. Don't try and rationalize why you have sprint or something by constantly bashing the iPhone hahahaha suckas.... They all copy the iPhone because it's the best!
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A next gen e-paper....
For an online DEMO just register yourself at www.papernow.net
@HighestRanked2 Its my Name: Tharheeb...
I would like you to have a look at our new innovative iPad application product's DEMO at www.papernow.net
Isn't this a representation of the first generation of iPhones ? The one that won't get the OS upgrade ... not as if Apple had made a lot of money with those early iphone adopters ... (3 years of store sellings).
At least we now know why the battery isn't removable : who fears a lung cancer while jailed in the death row.
I thought Dial already had that patent...
A little to late for that don't you think?