Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Florida Man Sues Apple for $10+ Billion, Says iOS Devices Copy His 1992 Drawings

From the docket:

Ross v. Apple, Inc.
Plaintiff: Thomas S. Ross
Defendant: Apple, Inc.
Case Number: 0:2016cv61471
Filed: June 27, 2016
Court: Florida Southern District Court
Office: Ft Lauderdale Office
County: Broward (Office: Ft Lauderdale)
Presiding Judge: Kathleen M. Williams
Nature of Suit: Copyrights
Cause of Action: 28:1331
Jury Demanded By: Plaintiff​

From http://www.kirwanspellacy.com/attorneys/tom-s-ross/:

Tom S. Ross
Kirwan Spellacy & Danner, P.A. Attorneys at Law
Broward County Office
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
...During his tenure at those companies, Mr. Ross served as an IT Analyst and Project Manager specializing in financial, accounting and billing systems for large and medium sized organizations.​

If I were a betting man, I'd say we've found our plaintiff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wondercow and kdarling
rkieru said:
... am I reading this article right? Because it sounds like he filed a patent that was later declared abandoned because he didn't actually pay to process his filing. He also failed to register a copyright on the design so he has no copyright nor patent claim on the designs.

So what is his lawsuit over, exactly? It sounds like he has no legal path toward any infringement claim.
Click to expand...
Right? I assume he has a lawyer, did this lawyer honestly tell him he has a chance going forward with this? Maybe there's some legal precedent we're missing.
 
Pathetic. Where was this yahoo in 1994 when Apple shipped the 1st real "tablet" computer (Newton), an actual physical product? Oh, you want to sue now, after all of Apple's hard work has generated real money. Nice. Too bad for you other people had already started 'envisioning' tablet type 'computers' as far back as 1915. Imagining something doesn't make it so. Oh, and you failed to get an actual patent. Oops. Bottom feeders. Stop wasting the courts' time!
 
HiVolt said:
Hahaha, hilarious...

Question, why now? did he just wake up from a coma nearly 25 years later? Smartphones with cellular connectivity have been around before the iPhone.
Click to expand...

In related news, the Estate of Washington Irving plans on suing HiVolt for using a Rip Van Winkle reference without prior written consent.

Oh wait, the copyright on it expired ages ago. It's public domain now. Just like the patent for they guy's drawing expired ages ago. I remember seeing an iPad/Tablet like devices on ST:TNG which air before 1992, so the guy probably stole the idea from the creators of ST:TNG.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Prediction for this thread:

I project 633 votes (to bashes) against Ross, 8 for Ross.

Another thread where it would be an old Apple patent or Apple drawing in which Apple is trying to challenge someone for bringing something they drew or patented to market: 633 votes for Apple, 8 votes for the other entity.

At least, we're consistent around here;)
Click to expand...
I predict the usual Apple bashers will, yep, bash Apple.
The Bash Brothers!
 
Charles50 said:
His claim that this design didn't exist before 1992 is ridiculous. Apple published a video in 1987 showing detailed designs for a similar product, Knowledge Navigator.
Click to expand...
I checked out the Knowledge Navigator video. I am now imaging the response here at MacRumors if Apple announced that, new for iOS10, "Siri" will include a picture of a person talking to us...and it's this nerd wearing a bowtie. MacRumors would crash under the responses and never recover.
 
fiveainone said:
Everyone's seen Star Trek. If anything Paramount should sue apple for copying TNG data pads.
Click to expand...

Yep, TNG was in 1987.

Going back further, we have 1978's electronic "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy":

1978_hitchhikers_guide.png


Probably the closest looking to the much later iPad mini, was the tablet on Thames Television's original 1973 show, "The Tomorrow People":

1973_tomorrow_people.png


Then there was the 1972 Alan Kay Dynabook concept, which looks kind of like the much later Florida man's design:

1972_dynabook.jpg


Before even that, "2001:A Space Odyssey" had flat screen digital newspapers / comm devices in 1968...

1968_space_odyssey4.png

...that you could even use while walking around on the moon!

1968_moon.jpg


The only downside is that you had to look at an index to see what news or function you wanted to read or use, then punch in its multi-digit code on the bottom buttons, kind of like choosing a jukebox song.

I bet we could find other examples of portable readers / tablets in sci-fi going back much further. Hmm. Did Tom Swift ever invent one?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: LordVic
Amazing, we used to draw these wishful thinking devices in our school books back in the 90s, when classes were particularly boring. I should dig them out and sue every major computer manufacturer in the world:)
 
hmm.. I don't believe this nut.. but....

Since Apple is out of ideas, and since innovation is all but dead..... Maybe offer him a job? Those drawings aren't that bad ;)

He might be able to come up with something other than a watch band!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shmet and timborama
EightBitJoe said:
From the docket:

Ross v. Apple, Inc.
Plaintiff: Thomas S. Ross
Defendant: Apple, Inc.
Case Number: 0:2016cv61471
Filed: June 27, 2016
Court: Florida Southern District Court
Office: Ft Lauderdale Office
County: Broward (Office: Ft Lauderdale)
Presiding Judge: Kathleen M. Williams
Nature of Suit: Copyrights
Cause of Action: 28:1331
Jury Demanded By: Plaintiff​

From http://www.kirwanspellacy.com/attorneys/tom-s-ross/:

Tom S. Ross
Kirwan Spellacy & Danner, P.A. Attorneys at Law
Broward County Office
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
...During his tenure at those companies, Mr. Ross served as an IT Analyst and Project Manager specializing in financial, accounting and billing systems for large and medium sized organizations.​

If I were a betting man, I'd say we've found our plaintiff.
Click to expand...

Possibly, or possibly not. According to his email address, his "company" is New Tech Resources, in Miramar, FL. It has a one-page Web site. Back in 1992 when he filed his patent he requested a waiver from the filing fee due to a claim of indigence. Maybe more lawyers ought to be indigent, but very few actually are.
 
kdarling said:
Yep, TNG was in 1987.

Going back further, we have 1978's electronic "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy":

View attachment 638114

Probably the closest looking to the much later iPad mini, was the tablet on Thames Television's original 1973 show, "The Tomorrow People":

View attachment 638115

Then there was the 1972 Alan Kay Dynabook concept, which looks kind of like the much later Florida man's design:

View attachment 638116

Before even that, "2001:A Space Odyssey" had flat screen digital newspapers / comm devices in 1968...

View attachment 638121
...that you could even use while walking around on the moon!

View attachment 638117

The only downside is that you had to look at an index to see what news or function you wanted to read or use, then punch in its multi-digit code on the bottom buttons, kind of like choosing a jukebox song.

I bet we could find other examples of portable readers / tablets in sci-fi going back much further. Hmm. Did Tom Swift ever invent one?
Click to expand...
While we are on the topic of old concept work, let’s not forget Apple’s own gem:
 
  • Like
Reactions: kdarling and Zirel
Apple copied him? I guess this guy never saw a half decent SciFi movie in the last 30 years that show touch interfaces?
 
-Exorbitant asking amount? Check!
-Non-active/utilized patent? Check!
-Filed nearly 10 years after the supposed infringement? Check!
-Filed by a Floridian? Check!

Protip, if you're going to sue someone, at least be somewhat serious about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back