HyperMac to Halt Sales of MagSafe Charging Cables

[MacRumors]

Engadget notes that Sanho, maker of the popular HyperMac line of external batteries for Apple notebooks, will halt sales of the MagSafe charging cables required for connecting its batteries to Apple's machines as of November 2nd. The move comes as the company attempts to work out a licensing agreement with Apple to offer the MagSafe interface.

As part of our ongoing comprehensive licensing negotiations with Apple regarding a wide array of technologies and issues, we have decided to cease the sale of the MacBook charging cables and car charger on November 2, 2010.

While we will continue to sell the same batteries together with the rest of our product line after November 2nd, they will not be able to charge MacBooks without the cables.

Apple filed suit against Sanho early last month over the accessory company's use of the MagSafe interface, alleging patent infringement. Sanho had hoped to escape the eye of Apple by utilizing official MagSafe connectors recycled from Apple adapters, but their incorporation into new products was deemed by Apple to be an inappropriate usage.

It is unclear if Apple and Sanho will be able to work out an agreement to allow the MagSafe-compatible HyperMac charging cables to return in the future, but negotiations are clearly underway to at least settle the lawsuit brought by Apple.

Apple's suit had also targeted Sanho for including Apple's USB-to-Dock cable with its external battery battery products for mobile iOS devices, but Sanho has apparently already discontinued that practice, with customers having to rely on their current cables or acquiring new ones from elsewhere.

Article Link: HyperMac to Halt Sales of MagSafe Charging Cables

 

[Pingwhen?]

what a Shame. this is one of those things that you know they were wrong for doing it in the first place... but really how do you get a patent on a Charging wire... i understand HDMI and what not... but its just a charging cored :-/ its just a good idea, not something worth a patent.

 

[iVoid]

What Hypermac should do is include a cable that will connect to Apple's magsafe airline/car adapter. That way they don't have to sell the magsafe cable and can still satisfy customers needing more battery runtime than Apple's decided we need.

The airline/car adapter isn't cheap, but it's better than nothing.

 

[MCP-511]

At least its a physical product that actually went to market. I don't see a problem with Apple putting a stop to it.

 

[Brinkman]

This is apples bread and butter.. best innovation they've brought to the portable industry.

 

[RMo]

This is apples bread and butter.. best innovation they've brought to the portable industry.

Bread and butter as in, it's their primary source of income and the company's flagship offering? I don't think so--I'd buy a portable Mac no matter what kind of charger it had. (Actually, the iBook one was somewhat prone to breakage in my experience, but some people think MagSafe is, too. I've actually had the best luck with my HP brick. My point is, MagSafe isn't a make-it-or-break-it deal for me.)

That being said, it sounds a little risky for this company not to think this re-use is perhaps a bit sketchy. Hopefully they can reach a decent licensing agreement--has anyone even tried to license MagSafe yet?

 

[diabolic]

Or they could just pay Apple for a license to use the MagSafe connector. That would be the simplest solution. I'd guess they'll end up doing this after they get their publicity.

 

[Full of Win]

What a powerhungy move by Apple CONsumer Electronics. I would understand if they were making the connectors themselves, but they are buying APPLE MADE power AD/DC converters and using these connectors. I'm sure the Kool-aid crowd will overlook this and say how great this is of Apple to keep counterfeits off the market, not even releasing that they were just using Apple made products.

Or they could just pay Apple for a license to use the MagSafe connector. That would be the simplest solution. I'd guess they'll end up doing this after they get their publicity.

They are using original apple MagSafe connectors from power adapters made by Apple. Its not as if they are making a cheap knock-off, and somehow need to license the connector. This is just another example of Apple flexing its massive amount of power and pushing around "the little guy"

 

[Ein2015]

Ugh

Apple doesn't even provide functionality anywhere close to this or this cool. I've been wanting an external battery forever and just now heard of HyperMac through today's news.

Apple's lockdown on their magsafe adapter is truly frakking annoying. They're hurting their users, not helping them.

 

[Thunderhawks]

what a Shame. this is one of those things that you know they were wrong for doing it in the first place... but really how do you get a patent on a Charging wire... i understand HDMI and what not... but its just a charging cored :-/ its just a good idea, not something worth a patent.

Say this was your idea and you worked on it for a long time and would be able to get $ 5 for each use of your idea and it's your only way of supporting yourself.
Now somebody comes and takes your idea and makes money from it and you don't get even a percentage.

Would you like that?

I am all for licensing technologies fairly.

All those adapters etc. are annoying to have, let alone the prices they charge for them. 24.99 at an ATT store for the same item I bought online
someplace else for $ 4.00.

We are getting hosed by cable and adapter companies!

Radio shack wanted 14.99 for the iphone end plug (They fray after time or like mine got ripped off by not being careful) probably a 75 cents item to make.

 

[Jazwire]

I love Apple products, but sometime the decisions made by the company leave me scratching my head.

Stupid move Steve, you make your company look like Microsoft.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

typical Apple BS. Some days I really can't stand that company...

 

[Diode]

Or they could just pay Apple for a license to use the MagSafe connector. That would be the simplest solution. I'd guess they'll end up doing this after they get their publicity.

Apple doesn't want to. They want you to buy your charger from them.

 

[Amuraivel]

If they are using 2nd hand connectors, I don't see how Apple can control the technology because Sanho is not manufacturing the product-- just like an author can't control who you sell your copy of their book too.

Just because a product is patented doesn't mean a company has the right to control all downstream uses of that technology when it's not being manufactured.

Moreover, Sanho isn't creating a product Apple makes.

If this legal doctrine Apple is asserting is allowed to persist IP holders will have a choke hold over the economy.

 

[HLdan]

Changing post.

 

[andiwm2003]

i would understand this if apple would actually sell external batteries. since they don't they should licence the connector to allow external batteries.

 

[Full of Win]

Say this was your idea and you worked on it for a long time and would be able to get $ 5 for each use of your idea and it's your only way of supporting yourself.
Now somebody comes and takes your idea and makes money from it and you don't get even a percentage.

Would you like that?

I am all for licensing technologies fairly.

All those adapters etc. are annoying to have, let alone the prices they charge for them. 24.99 at an ATT store for the same item I bought online
someplace else for $ 4.00.

We are getting hosed by cable and adapter companies!

Radio shack wanted 14.99 for the iphone end plug (They fray after time or like mine got ripped off by not being careful) probably a 75 cents item to make.

Guess what.... APPLE DOES GET PAID. The connectors are made by Apple, and purchased from Apple. Given that Apple is paid for the purchase of the AC/DC converter, how exactly can you justify saying Apple is not get compensated here? You would have a point if the connecters were counterfeit; by the company buys them FROM APPLE and removes the cord and uses this.

 

[brentsg]

I don't blame any company for protecting their innovation.

Heck, I got my wife an HP Netbook and the charging connector/mechanism is by far the most annoying aspect of the entire machine. It adds a significant amount of size and mess to the footprint needlessly, compared to a Magsafe setup.

 

[darfel]

Does anyone own/use one of these?

I'm considering buying one of these. Does anyone have any experience with this product?

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Or they could just pay Apple for a license to use the MagSafe connector. That would be the simplest solution. I'd guess they'll end up doing this after they get their publicity.

that would require apple Licensing it out which they do not do.

Mag safe is a great idea. Just Apple is preventing it from being used by other produces and companies. I woul love to see more laptops start using mag safe. Hell I wish apple would push it as an industry standard that all laptops could use. It would make charging different companies laptop easier since in a pinch you could borrow a friends.

 

[Grimace]

Apple needs to protect its IP. Figure out what the licensing fee is, pay it, and then go make great products. Same as Belkin and everyone else.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

It is sad to see a small company like Hyper Mac, who bought cables through legal means be banned from such sales.

But the bright side is here possibly Apple will halt its retarded stance to inhibit virtually any and all non-apple Magsafe accessories.

Apple needs to license its products to allow many magsafe third party sales. Sorry, but Apple has been wrong here. If they can allow and help so many ipad, ipod, iphone and macbook product accessorizing, why can't they do it with Magsafe???

just FUBAR for them to believe otherwise and go a company which is only trying to enhance the lifes of people who own Apple products!

 

[GadgetGav]

@ Pingwhen?
"its just a good idea, not something worth a patent" - You really don't understand the patent system, do you? A patent is the protection for a good idea that someone else would want to copy. It's perfectly OK for Apple to patent this connector. It's not just a good idea, it's a great idea.

Now you can make a case that they should license this connector to third parties like they do with the 30-pin dock connector and have licensed accessories that they don't make. My guess is that could happen because Sanho say this move is part of licensing negotiations, so maybe they'll come back as officially licensed products. It's also somewhat odd that since they were buying Apple power bricks and hacking off the cable, were they really doing something wrong anyway...?

BUT, at the end of the day, you can do the same thing yourself. I have an Apple power brick that I have inserted a male and female inline plug and socket into the cord. In normal use, it's just like it always was. When I go traveling, I unplug the bit of the cord with the magsafe connector on it and I use one of the tips of my iGo Travel Adapter to power it as the iGo can also charge my phone and USB devices. If I wanted, I could get a battery pack with the same tip and make a home brew Hypermac battery.

 

[GadgetGav]

Also, this is the biggest free publicity Sanho have ever had. All the Mac blogs will cover this and conveniently, there's just time to get your order in if you'd been on the fence about buying this. I predict these two weeks will be their biggest sales volume ever.

And by next month or next year there could be an officially sanctioned version and they've got rid of all the old stock.

 

[exigentsky]

Apple just wants what's best for its customers... only Apple products.