Didn't Apple patent Multi-Touch? I watched the keynote from 2007, and SJ himself said they did... So what's going on? Why does every other phone now have it?
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Apple Patented Multi-Touch?
- Thread starter carebearsx3
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The can patent a way of implementing multi-touch. The idea has been around for ages. Even before Apple was founded.
Current status from the Patent Office :
Trademark :
words only): MULTI-TOUCH
Standard Character claim: Yes
Current Status: An ex parte appeal of a final refusal to register the applied for mark is pending before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Date of Status: 2010-04-14
Filing Date: 2007-06-30
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Apple does own several patents about multi-touch though. Just not the trademark.
Trademark :
words only): MULTI-TOUCH
Standard Character claim: Yes
Current Status: An ex parte appeal of a final refusal to register the applied for mark is pending before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Date of Status: 2010-04-14
Filing Date: 2007-06-30
------------------
Apple does own several patents about multi-touch though. Just not the trademark.
The filing will be dead in 3 months.
It was refused by the USPTO.
"
Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1) – Merely Descriptive Refusal
The refusal to register because the applied-for mark merely describes a feature of applicant’s goods is made final. Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1); see TMEP §§1209.01(b), 1209.03 et seq."
That's a trademark, which has *nothing* to do with patents!
A trademark identifies the sources of goods or services. A name, logo, etc.
A patent is an exclusive right to use of an invention. Not the same thing at all.
Yes they did: other companies think they can steal their implementation of it. That's exactly why Apple is suing HTC...
Allegedly stole it.
Apple still has to prove that HTC is using the exact same methods as described in the patent.
Remember the old saying, "There's more than one way to skin a cat."
Just like there's more than one way to implement multi touch.
Apple is not suing HTC over multi-touch, because Apple did not, and cannot, patent the idea. Multi-touch has been around since the early 1980s. Other companies are also not using Apple's method of decoding.
Apple is suing HTC over other things like rubber-banding at the end of pages, and obscur operating system concepts from back in the days of NeXT.
HTC countersued with a few of their patents. Interestingly, just yesterday the ITC agreed to look at HTC's claims to see if they should ban iPad, iPhone and iPod imports into the USA.
You have to remember that Jobs is basically a really good salesman. He's not an engineer nor designer, and isn't very technical. (He's great at surrounding himself with people who are.) When he says things like "and boy did we patent it", he's mostly playing to the fan crowd.
Very true, but I don't think Apple would just sue them if they didn't know what they were doing. Apple is quite wise when it comes to suing another company.Allegedly stole it.
Apple still has to prove that HTC is using the exact same methods as described in the patent.
Remember the old saying, "There's more than one way to skin a cat."
Just like there's more than one way to implement multi touch.
Apple CAN: it's the way they implement it. Apple is suing HTC over multi-touch and a few other things (some of which you probably already mentioned). HTC's comeback is pretty lame... Apple doesn't sue just to sue. They know exactly what they're doing.
Nope, Apple is NOT suing HTC over multi-touch.
Of the twenty patents that Apple brought up, only two had anything to do with touch at all.
One was for rubberbanding at edges, which is not really touch related now that I think about it. The other is about deciding whether to scroll a page in one direction or not.
Neither one of those is about multi-touch. Nor are any of the others.
Perhaps you got the idea from some mistaken fan blog or site?
Well if that's the case, it seems Apple has a much greater chance of winning the lawsuit. Like I said, Apple knows exactly what they're doing.
+1. HTC and Google wanted to compete with Apple and then decided to copy multi-touch, inertial scrolling, copy-and-paste, and whatever they wanted.
Well if that's the case, it seems Apple has a much greater chance of winning the lawsuit. Like I said, Apple knows exactly what they're doing.
Apple has already lost a suit about visual voice mail. They're probably going to lose more Kodak recent suits about the onboard camera (everyone's losing that one) and one from the Netfront people about smooth scrolling. Then there's the Nokia lawsuit asking for wireless royalties, which even Apple acknowledges will require some payment.
Apple didn't invent multi-touch, inertial scrolling or finger based copy-paste.
Most of the lawsuits are more about things like power conservation.
I think you two have some catching up to do.
We have enough patent and touch and engineering experts posting here that most regular forum readers are very well informed about topics like this.Cheers!
Wait. Are you an engineer? Or are you absolutely positive that there are indeed experts posting on these forums (which I'm sure there are at least a few)? Lastly, when did Apple say the Nokia lawsuit will require some payment? Did I miss something?Apple has already lost a suit about visual voice mail. They're probably going to lose more Kodak recent suits about the onboard camera (everyone's losing that one) and one from the Netfront people about smooth scrolling. Then there's the Nokia lawsuit asking for wireless royalties, which even Apple acknowledges will require some payment.
Apple didn't invent multi-touch, inertial scrolling or finger based copy-paste.
Most of the lawsuits are more about things like power conservation.
I think you two have some catching up to do.
Cheers!
Yes sir. Thirty years' experience in embedded and handheld systems, and twenty years with touchscreens.
We have at least one patent attorney who posts regularly. We've all learned a lot from him.
Lastly, when did Apple say the Nokia lawsuit will require some payment? Did I miss something?
Apple never said that they don't owe anything. In their countersuit, Apple "admits the right to be granted licenses to Nokia's declared essential patents under F/RAND terms and conditions". The dispute is over how much money is owed, and over Nokia wanting access to patents that are related more to the PDA side of a smartphone.
Most people believe the HTC lawsuit is more against Android.
Thanks. That clears up a lot for me. Who is the patent attorney? I would like to read his thoughts on the Apple/ HTC/ Nokia/ Kodak lawsuit matter. Hopefully Apple wins at least a few of these...
Look up the definition of the word "copy" as it relates to patents.HTC and Google copied almost all's technologies and ideas.
Patents are all about the methods used in the implementation.
There's typically more than one way to perform a similar function.
I also suspect some of Apple's own patents may be challenged for their legitimacy just as Apple is challenging other patents.
It ain't over until it's over.... this is only the beginning.
Nope.
They patented "their" implementation of multi touch.
As stated earlier... there are many ways one can implement a multi touch interface.