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Apple Files Patent Infringement Suit Over 'Knock-Off' Power Adapters
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As usual, people without the least notion of US patent law are the first to point fingers at Apple. You may agree or disagree with our laws or the way they are applied by the USPTO, but you should understand that what Apple does to protect its IP is SOP for American corporations. If they didn't do everything necessary to protect their IP, both by filing and defending patents, they would be in breach of their fiduciary duties to Apple shareholders, and would risk being forced to pay license fees to someone who filed first (or worse). So spare us your uninformed sanctamony, please.
I love macs, but I have to say this:
Stay Classy Apple
"Classy" is probably the nicest way to put it.
I despise MagSafe, and I predicted I would before I used it
Ive had an iBook G4 with the standard connector for years, and I trip over the cord almost daily, and not once has that caused the iBook to come crashing down onto the floor. Maybe thats because it weighs so much.
Besides dragging my portables to cafés, I typically use them on my coffee table, on my lap (either with feet on coffee table or most commonly sitting cross-legged on the floor or anywhere), or next to me on the sofa.
Now with the 13 MBP with MagSafe, Im always coming unplugged. Moving it around from lap to sofa to table is bad enough, but its nearly impossible to use it in my lap while sitting cross-legged. That lifts the connector up and it pops out. Unless I push the MBP forward enough, but then because its so light and slippery on the bottom, it slides out of my lap, and if Im not quick enough, onto the floor. Ironic.
Its also ironic that this so-called enhancement didnt go through enough user acceptance testing to see how real people will sit with it.
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Ive had an iBook G4 with the standard connector for years, and I trip over the cord almost daily, and not once has that caused the iBook to come crashing down onto the floor. Maybe thats because it weighs so much.
Besides dragging my portables to cafés, I typically use them on my coffee table, on my lap (either with feet on coffee table or most commonly sitting cross-legged on the floor or anywhere), or next to me on the sofa.
Now with the 13 MBP with MagSafe, Im always coming unplugged. Moving it around from lap to sofa to table is bad enough, but its nearly impossible to use it in my lap while sitting cross-legged. That lifts the connector up and it pops out. Unless I push the MBP forward enough, but then because its so light and slippery on the bottom, it slides out of my lap, and if Im not quick enough, onto the floor. Ironic.
Its also ironic that this so-called enhancement didnt go through enough user acceptance testing to see how real people will sit with it.
I'm fairly certain that the magnetic ends would cause crosstalk at the end of the transmission line and therefore create a higher bit error rate/ contention.
That and the fact that no company would want to deal with switching their server's connectors, and the headaches associated with unplugging them by accident (ie. tripping and knocking out 40 cables on a switch rack)
I agree it would be pretty sweet though.
Because if you license your innovations to other manufacturers then you lose your competitive advantage. Why buy a $1,200 MacBook with MagSafe when you can get an HP for $600 with MagSafe too?
I think the bigger reason they need to protect this is for publicity.
What happens when one of these knock-off adapters overheats and causes a fire? Are the major media outlets going to report that the user bought a cheap knock-off adapter or will they simply report that an Apple computer burned a house to the ground?
Yep....
Ever since the mag-safe adapter came out, Apple hasn't allowed anyone else to manufacture one with that connector on it.
In fact, that turned into a big issue for a company trying to make airline power adapters for the Macbook Pro, shortly after it came out. They tried to get permission from Apple to do it and were denied. They wound up having to basically buy a new mag-safe adapter and chop the wire off the end of it, to re-use it with their airline adapter -- and then charged consumers about $149 for the thing, to cover the cost of the mag-safe adapter they trash while building each one.
It's insanity ... but that's what you get when patents are granted by the U.S. govt. on every little thing.
Ever since the mag-safe adapter came out, Apple hasn't allowed anyone else to manufacture one with that connector on it.
In fact, that turned into a big issue for a company trying to make airline power adapters for the Macbook Pro, shortly after it came out. They tried to get permission from Apple to do it and were denied. They wound up having to basically buy a new mag-safe adapter and chop the wire off the end of it, to re-use it with their airline adapter -- and then charged consumers about $149 for the thing, to cover the cost of the mag-safe adapter they trash while building each one.
It's insanity ... but that's what you get when patents are granted by the U.S. govt. on every little thing.
A real bummer
I wish I had learned about the site before today. I had to pay the apple tax and buy an adapter a few weeks ago. Could have saved a few clams. I can't imagine that their adapters are any more cheaply made than Apple's.
Also, I believe in patents, but at the same time, I think we grant patents a little too freely.
I wish I had learned about the site before today. I had to pay the apple tax and buy an adapter a few weeks ago. Could have saved a few clams. I can't imagine that their adapters are any more cheaply made than Apple's.
Also, I believe in patents, but at the same time, I think we grant patents a little too freely.
You may not know that the biggest problem I see with other consumer laptops is the power adapter input. The little pin gets all kinds of stress and eventually works loose. For a while you can get juice to the machine by pushing on it a little be. Not too long after that you get no juice and the machine is dead. Fixing that connector is about a $200 repair.
You must've missed where this concerns the other (wall plug) side of the power adapter and not the MagSafe end?
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Anything that Apple makes with a cord really sucks.
Their headphones are awful and it amazes me that people spend all this money on an iPhone/iPod, but then use those cheap, crap headphones that come with it. Their in-ear phones also suck...as does the quality of their power adapters.
Their headphones are awful and it amazes me that people spend all this money on an iPhone/iPod, but then use those cheap, crap headphones that come with it. Their in-ear phones also suck...as does the quality of their power adapters.
So go buy a Sony already. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms at SonyRumors.com...
Same here. Of the 5 MBPs we have in the office, 1 power adaptor stopped charging completely, one started burning/melting through the insulation, and two failed in the cable between the adaptor and wall socket (both replaced by cheapo black kettle leads which work perfectly).
Gotta love patents. Promoting the use of non-standard, sub-standard accessories...
Man, people like you make me sick! I wished for one second you'd have the mind (or anything for that matter) to invent or create something... then when someone steps all over your creation I can just hear you whining about how your rights are "so" violated...I can understand Apple's zeal is protecting their OS for their various devices and preventing "Mac clones". But what chaps my hide is when they start monopolizing the little things like batteries and power chargers while charging thru the teeth for these maintenance/replaceable items.
Geez, even when it comes to things like that proprietary iPod headphone jack that would ONLY work with Apple headphones. Apple is always testing what they can get away with in the game of "monopoly".
Given Steve's controlling nature, what would otherwise appear to be aggressive business practices by a miserly board of directors, might just be an extension of the founders own personality.
I know the magic plug on the power cord is an Apple innovation but why not license manufacturing to 3rd party developers who can then compete to manufacture it more cheaply?
AS IF we don't know the answer to THAT...
The very foundation of capitalism is to maximize profit at ALL costs as the company has no allegiance to anyone except the share holders. That is why ALL companies try to be the sole provider of everything they can and then charge thru the teeth....as the sole provider. Or if you have a CEO who wants to rule the world...end result is the same...monopoly.
But if Steve wasn't this way, there would be no Apple.
I guess it is a catch-22...and I just defused my own post
A patent is a patent period and whoever gets it first rules! In this case it's Apple! This is just about consequences from doing the wrong thing...
learn my friend.
And about competition... why don't we just clone people too while were at it! Some good ol' common sense might be more widespread...
Sort of the same way that Apple used Nokias stuff without permission and sold it to the world.
Please cite a conviction where a judge has concluded that has happened. Rending lawsuits that can filed by any idiot and have not been tried in court do not count. Remember, I can accuse Apple of anything - until I can prove my case by accusations should be dismissed as baseless.
So go buy a Sony already. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms at SonyRumors.com...
Sony doesn't make Apple power adapters. No one's allowed to, remember?
Because everything Apple does comes out of thin air. Would you like some more Koolaid?
So go buy a Sony already. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms at SonyRumors.com...
You know, I did buy some Sony's after the Apple In-ears broke for the second time... the Sony's lasted 3 months, ugh.
I like my Apple products, but man I've been through 4 pairs of their headphones, 2 bower bricks (3 for my girlfriends Powerbook), 2 iphone usb cords, etc.
Oh well, I imagine they'll be moving to wireless everything soon enough
Sanctimony: a show or expression of feelings or beliefs one does not actually hold or possess
How can sanctimony be uninformed?
Protecting IP is not necessarily SOP for many US based corporations, many put their IP in the public domain (look at any open movement: standards, OSS, patent donations, etc). Many corporations apply FRAND licensing principles in order to have the technology contained within their patents widely adopted.
These actions are not in breach of any fiduciary duties. The risk of licensing fees due to prior patents is irrelevant in this specific context.
The USPTO does not apply any laws in cases of patent infringement, Federal courts do. It applies laws in the way it reviews and grants patents. "The role of the USPTO is to grant patents for the protection of inventions and to register trademarks."
Do you have any idea what you are talking about?
If it has GSM support, you must pay the people who invented it. The Nokia suit is pretty open and closed.
nalyst Ben Wood was quoted as saying, “It is almost inconceivable that someone can produce a mobile phone without using Nokia patented technologies.”
I am with multiple repliers above. the magsafe patent is ridiculous. I have a hot water pot with magnetic plug for ten years. and I am sure that such thing has been around for much longer than 10 years. Apple shamelessly filed patent for an idea that was clearly stolen from somewhere else.
Uninformed
Sanctimony: a show or expression of feelings or beliefs one does not actually hold or possess
How can sanctimony be uninformed?
Protecting IP is not necessarily SOP for many US based corporations, many put their IP in the public domain (look at any open movement: standards, OSS, patent donations, etc). Many corporations apply FRAND licensing principles in order to have the technology contained within their patents widely adopted.
These actions are not in breach of any fiduciary duties. The risk of licensing fees due to prior patents is irrelevant in this specific context.
The USPTO does not apply any laws in cases of patent infringement, Federal courts do. It applies laws in the way it reviews and grants patents. "The role of the USPTO is to grant patents for the protection of inventions and to register trademarks."
Do you have any idea what you are talking about?
Sanctimony: a show or expression of feelings or beliefs one does not actually hold or possess
How can sanctimony be uninformed?
Protecting IP is not necessarily SOP for many US based corporations, many put their IP in the public domain (look at any open movement: standards, OSS, patent donations, etc). Many corporations apply FRAND licensing principles in order to have the technology contained within their patents widely adopted.
These actions are not in breach of any fiduciary duties. The risk of licensing fees due to prior patents is irrelevant in this specific context.
The USPTO does not apply any laws in cases of patent infringement, Federal courts do. It applies laws in the way it reviews and grants patents. "The role of the USPTO is to grant patents for the protection of inventions and to register trademarks."
Do you have any idea what you are talking about?