HyperMac to Halt Sales of MagSafe Charging Cables

[gnasher729]

@ 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.

It doesn't matter whether it's a good or a great idea; ideas cannot be patented. But an idea would be me saying "wouldn't it be great if there was a power plug that is attached to a laptop in such a way that it is firmly attached and doesn't fall off, but will get attached when a force is used that would be strong enough to pull the laptop off a table or chair and damage it". That is an idea and cannot be patented.

But Apple didn't patent an idea; they actually implemented it in a rather good (not perfect) way, and that implementation is what is being patented. So any laptop maker is free to use the _idea_ and create a plug that saves laptops from being thrown on the floor when a user doesn't watch out and falls over the power cable; but they can't use Apple's way of doing it.

 

[SpeedracerX]

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

I have one and it has worked extremely well for me. I bought it about a month after my macbook pro purchase. And it came with a free car charging kit.

The best way to use it is to have your Macbook charged and let it keep it fully charged, after the Hypermac battery is dead, the Macbook switches to the internal battery. This gives you the best and longest performance.

 

[cohibadad]

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.

I don't know if that will work. The airline adapter powers the mac but doesn't charge the battery. I love the hypermac batteries. For extended mac use and multiple iPad, iPod and iPhone changings on the go I've found no better.

 

[skeep5]

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

+1

 

[Mactrillionaire]

Commonly used interface cables generally aren't controlled by any one company, but rather are overseen by an industry-wide consortium, with clearly published requirements to file an application for permission to use them, and an unbiased review process to grant such permission regardless of any individual companies' competitive interests.



Woah there! Apple's present action is against the manufacturer of the cable, not against the individual end-users of the cable. Accusations of warranty violations against end users haven't been brought up at all in this news article.

Apple owns the intellectual property (patent) surrounding the physical implementation of the MagSafe connector, and so far, they have never sold or licensed permission to use this technology to anybody else. Therefore, Apple is the only manufacturer which has permission to manufacture and sell cables based upon this technology.

There is an argument to be made (of debatable quality) that this company's policy of recycling existing cables instead of manufacturing them brand new might be a loophole which could exempt them from being accused of infringing on Apple's patented technology.

But, provided Apple is willing to sit down and actually negotiate, it would probably be easier and cheaper for the manufacturer to arrive at a negotiated settlement rather than try to fight it out in court.

I guess you're still missing the point: Selling X to Y transfers authority of X to Y. Licensing X to Y does not transfer authority of X to Y but instead creates an agreement between the parties that describes the obligations of each party and the limitations of usage. A sale or voluntary transfer (as in the case of recycling), does not permit the survival of the previously owning party's authority over what happens to it. If Apple desires the degree of control it seems to be seeking on a wider basis, my suggestion would be for them to stop selling products and only license them. The bottom line is that you cannot tell someone what to sell if they legitimately obtained the item and are owners of the item rather than licensees of it.

 

[madmax_2069]

This is rubbish. They was buying the adapter from Apple and not from a 3rd party.

Totally retarded on Apples part.

 

[Corbin052198]

Do they make these for the iBook G3?

I wish they would though. This poor old laptop's battery only lasts about 2 minutes playing a DVD.

 

[ShiftyPig]

The most ridiculous aspect of this is that Apple doesn't even have a case - exhaustion doctrine says that the patent holder loses any claim to infringement at the first sale of a patented item. If Sanho is buying these things from Apple, there's no infringement.

This may be one of the most embarrassingly arrogant things I've seen Apple do. People can have whatever opinion of products, Apple tax, etc., but using financial might to launch a frivoulous lawsuit against a company who is providing a legitimate product is reprehensible. Good thing we all have removable batteries.... oh

 

[mobi]

This is rubbish. They was buying the adapter from Apple and not from a 3rd party.

Totally retarded on Apples part.

+1

 

[leroypants]

I am not the least bit surprised, apple wants to control everything you do with their products, even the way you charge them.

 

[godostoyke]

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

I have used them for about a year for my MacBook Air; it's a great product as far as I am concerned. The 60Wh unit allows me to keep notes at all-day conferences without having to hover around room corners close to power outlets (note that small batteries connected to larger macs, e.g. the 17" models, will not be able to push quite as much juice into the mac, compared to larger-sized batteries).

You can charge an iPhone at the same time (USB outlet), and even an iPad in the new versions (2 amps. vs. 0.5 amps in original).

 

[latafairam]

Apple knows people don't need external batteries for their MacBooks. If they did, Apple would have provided these.

No got it wrong. Apple TELLS people they dont need them. Just like they tell people they don't need 1080p. 720p is good enough.

 

[MacKeeperFanMod]

Triumph of legal might over common sense

Why? I mean these battery packs are great for long haul flights - just great devices. I mean its not like apple let you replace batteries on long flights now anyway with the built-in battery design
Really pointless lawsuit and bad outcome.

Well done apple lawer vermin - what a great victory....

 

[tangentially]

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.

I wonder if Apple would deem the less than flattering uses I've made of my several dead magsafe chargers to be an inappropriate usage of them and come after me.

It strikes me as odd that Apple can control the downstream usage of one of their devices after they've sold it to a consumer. At that time, I would think that they have relinquished title to the physical device.

If that is true, then they would be able to stop the people from converting Macbook Pros into tablets, for example.

What if this service required the user to send in their magsafe power brick for conversion? Could Apple still stop that?

 

[goosnarrggh]

The most ridiculous aspect of this is that Apple doesn't even have a case - exhaustion doctrine says that the patent holder loses any claim to infringement at the first sale of a patented item. If Sanho is buying these things from Apple, there's no infringement.

This may be one of the most embarrassingly arrogant things I've seen Apple do. People can have whatever opinion of products, Apple tax, etc., but using financial might to launch a frivoulous lawsuit against a company who is providing a legitimate product is reprehensible. Good thing we all have removable batteries.... oh

Exhaustion doctrine. Excellent. That's the notion I was looking for which parallelled a similar concept in copyrights.

Wikipedia tells me that "territorial exhaustion doctrine" exists in the USA: the original manufacturer's patent rights are only exhausted if the recycled part was originally sold inside the USA.

So, were these battery adaptors built from recycled power cords which were originally sold in the USA (in which case Apple's patent claims ought to have been exhausted) or were they originally sold somewhere overseas before being recycled (in which Apple's patent claims would still apply)?

Unfortunately, patent exhaustion appears to only exist as an affirmative defence -- Sanho would have to let the case go to trial before they could present their argument about the patents being exhausted.

 

[lilo777]

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.

Apple has two objectives: profits and control. This issue probably falls into the second category. Yes they do not produce anything similar but that's just because Steve Jobs thinks it's the wrong way to use laptops i.e. it's about control of your experience (and your life).

 

[Full of Win]

The company doesn't have a license and people are surprised Apple is suing them for using their technology? It's irrelevant if they paid Apple to buy them, they did not pay Apple to resell them. Any fifth grader would know this is clearly infringing on Apple's patent... open and shut.

It is not irrelevant.

The logical extent of this is for Apple to extend control over the re-sale of ALL Apple products. Prepare for a CD letter when you try to put your Apple product for sale, or more likely, a website such as mac rumors will have CD letters to ask them (or a lengthy lawsuit to compel them) to stop allowing the uncontrolled sale of pre-purchased Apple products.

Think that is crazy? Well what is the difference between what Hypermac is doing in the value adding relative yo you are me how may add RAM or larger hard drive to value add before sale? Noting as far as I can see. Well, there is NO difference - both were legally purchased from Apple and modified by the user and then offered for re-sale.


Oh, and how exactly is this patent infringing when they are using Apple products? I guess when I added non-Apple RAM to my MacBook Pro, I was guilty of infringing also, at least using your twisted concept of it. Oh no, better get a lawyer now!

Apple has two objectives: profits and control. This issue probably falls into the second category. Yes they do not produce anything similar but that's just because Steve Jobs thinks it's the wrong way to use laptops i.e. it's about control of your experience (and your life).

Exactly. Apple has the money and power to push around the little guy. Does not matter if Apple is wrong, you will need millions of dollars make them admit it. Sad that Apple Consumer Electronics have moved from the choice of the computer user and to the role of the abuser.

 

[rrraven]

Apple WON'T let companies pay to license Magsafe

Apple refuses to license Magsafe, though many companies have tried to buy licensing rights. It's a real pain, for situations like this external battery and other devices that Apple does not offer, so without the Magsafe they simply cannot be used with modern MacBooks and their ilk.

I had a whole set of iGo connectors. Wonderful travel product that lets you charge your camera, cell phone, video camera, iPod, etc etc all with just one "brick" in your luggage instead of a dozen. It uses interchangeable tips, which you buy separately for each device. However, the whole thing relies on hanging off a laptop being charged - and they couldn't get Apple to allow them to make a Magsafe tip. So my whole collection turned to worthless scrap when I got my Macbook a few years back to replace an obsolete iBook.

 

[cmfilms]

I can see why Apple is doing this. Imagine some fourth-rate Chinese operation putting out cheap MagSafe cables. Imagine what improper voltage could do to a computer. It's same the reasoning behind tight control on the App Store. It's all for highest quality user experience.

That being said, they shouldn't be d-bags about it. I love my HyperMac and it has bailed me out of several tight situations. I hope they resolve this, because both companies provide great products that I use everyday.

 

[rrraven]

offbrand magsafe

On the other hand, I have purchased Made-in-China Magsafe charging adapters from eBay, and they've worked great at a fraction of the Apple price. I'd rather have used an iGo Apple-licensed tip, if Apple would have allowed them to be made, but since they wouldn't allow it I went to a different solution.

 

[Yr Blues]

On the other hand, I have purchased Made-in-China Magsafe charging adapters from eBay, and they've worked great at a fraction of the Apple price. I'd rather have used an iGo Apple-licensed tip, if Apple would have allowed them to be made, but since they wouldn't allow it I went to a different solution.

I bought one, too. And it works great for under $25.

I think they buy the magsafe tips from Apple and attach it to their own power-supply.

Patents are lame and all the big companies ignore them anyways.

No one can compete with Apple's manufacturing quality, patent or no patent.

 

[hfg]

You could buy a few of the HyperMac "Magsafe Cable only" for spares ...
... at $99.95 each.

http://www.hypershop.com/HyperMac-Charging-Cable-for-MacBook-Air-p/mbp-air.htm

 

[leroypants]

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

Fixed it for you.

 

[rickdollar]

Oh well

I wasn't very happy with my Hypermac battery, anyway. It only gave about 75% of the charge that was advertised. I was told this was normal by the company.
I wouldn't buy from them again.

 

[joueboy]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Apple should let 3rd party accessories to license if they can't sell their own cable just to milk the consumers. Until now I don't even understand how Apple were granted with this patent. This design existed for years in cooking ware industry. Now they're trolling!