Also, it's hilarious that anyone would feel sorry for poor little Apple on a topic like this. Remember when they started selling something called the 'iPhone' despite Cisco clearly owning the trademark for that name?
In any case, if Apple can raise patent lawsuits over a rectangular phone rounded edges, this is certainly a reasonable challenge.
In this case the patent is very specific as i read it. Beyond that this is not a software patent. It is very specific related to how a keyboard on a touch sensitive device could work. Apple would need to find very specific prior art to invalidate the patent. Frankly i cant remember seeing anything similar before the patent date.I'm pretty sure you could argue prior art - in Windows Mobile 6 you could tap and hold to get a contextual menu. Even Palm OS had something similar. This is essentially right click but with a touchscreen.
Honestly most software patents are so stupid - if it was required to be an actual specific idea I would be fine with them, but people patent the most basic things just because they can.
Basing your argument around a hypothetical that ignores what a patent is and how it's used is kind of useless imo.Mr. Abe failed in that he never created 3D Touch. He simply "invented" the idea, but he never developed the mechanism for its implementation, therefore his patent should be invalidated.
It's like if I had patented the idea for a flying car, but never to go figure out how to get the car to actually fly.
I think what the poster is referencing is Abe's ethnicity has nothing to do with the lawsuit. Whether he's Japanese, Russian, Cambodian, or Canadian is immaterial. There may be relevance not included in the article, but as written, "Japanese" is as unnecessarily superfluous as unnecessarily superfluous is redundant.People of various ethnic backgrounds can and do live in other locations. It's a novel concept but one that's been around for thousands of years.
Basing your argument around a hypothetical that ignores what a patent is and how it's used is kind of useless imo.
Also, it's hilarious that anyone would feel sorry for poor little Apple on a topic like this. Remember when they started selling something called the 'iPhone' despite Cisco clearly owning the trademark for that name?
Apple has hundreds of patents they don't use, and probably never will. Does that make them trolls? Is it ok for someone else to infringe on them?
In any case, if Apple can raise patent lawsuits over a rectangular phone rounded edges, this is certainly a reasonable challenge.
So it's not ok to sue small companies but ok to sue big ones? If so, that guy is right on the moneyWhen was the last time you heard of them suing a small company for infringing on one of their unused patents?
I bet current patent laws would likely allow the estate of Gene Roddenberry to sue over patent infringement rights to voice control of computers and devices if he had actually filed a patent. It doesn't appear to matter if the patent holder knows how to make it happen, they just have to file the proper paperwork and show a cartoonish concept of it. The creator of the Jetsons (or his estate) could file against anyone who ever invents any of the cool technology in that cartoon series, assuming he filed patents, which I doubt. Patent laws need to be revived.
That makes the biggest song writers, novelists, screen writers trolls.Apple is not seeking out users of their unused patents and trying to make money. That's what a troll does.
It is curious why this fella has taken so long to act.
US patent law doesn't require them to use it. but in this case his base description is super broad. I mean it essentially is the definition of any touch screen device. of which there are massive amounts of prior art.
and I'm curious why, if he knew that Apple was infringing almost 10 years ago, he didn't sue then. i mean Apple had plenty of money in the bank and he could have then used that win to support further suits if they kept infringing without paying him.
I’m tired of these patent trolls that don’t even use their patents.
I'm all for the concept of patents to protect inventors and inventions. BUT... IMO... this isn't an invention. It's an idea / concept. I would love to see real patent reform such that (1) ideas and processes are not generally patentable, (2) patents have specific implementation requirements, (3) multiple approaches to the same problem don't infringe.
I could be wrong about these, but regardless... something has to change.
People of various ethnic backgrounds can and do live in other locations. It's a novel concept but one that's been around for thousands of years.
Seems vague to me. Something will happen if you do something. Really?
Toshiyasu Abe, a resident of Vancouver, Washington, has filed a lawsuit against Apple in Oregon district court this week, accusing the company of infringing upon his patent with Key Flicks and 3D Touch on select iPhone and iPad models.
![]()
The patent in question is No. 6,520,699, granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in February 2003.Like most patents, the description and claims for this one are very long and exhaustive, but from a high level, it at one point refers to a "user interface device" comprising "a plurality of buttons displayed on a touch sensitive screen," with "each button being associated with a plurality of characters or functions."
Here's how the patent is described in the complaint, obtained by MacRumors:There are several other embodiments of the invention, including physical thumb control pads on a mobile phone, notebook, or steering wheel in a vehicle, each with a multitude of pressure-sensitive, geometrically-shaped keys.
![]()
Various embodiments of the patent
The touchscreen embodiment does sound similar to how accented characters are managed on the iPhone keyboard. When a user taps on the E key, for example, a menu appears with diacritics such as È, É, Ê, and Ë. The user then slides their finger over the desired character and releases to input it in a text field.
Abe believes Apple's infringement extends to the Flick Keyboard, introduced in iOS 11 for select iPad models. When enabled, the feature allows an iPad user to simply tap and swipe down on a key to input a number or symbol. If a user taps and swipes down on the D key, for example, a $ symbol is inputted.
The complaint alleges that 3D Touch also infringes upon his patent, given its pressure-sensitive, multifunction attributes.
Apple is also said to be further inducing infringement by aiding and abetting the development of third-party iPhone keyboards and apps that implement flick-style keys and 3D Touch, available through the App Store.
![]()
Third-party Japanese keyboard for iPhone
The accused products include at least the following iPad and iPhone models sold in the United States: iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, 9.7-inch iPad, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
The complaint alleges that Apple has known of Abe's patent since at least as early as 2009, when he first gave written notice of its infringement. The plaintiff allegedly exchanged a number of emails with Apple, and engaged in at least one phone call with the company's in-house counsel, but no agreement was reached.
Then, in 2017, the complaint alleges that Abe discovered an increase in Apple's infringing activities relating to the release of iOS 11, prompting him to send Apple another patent infringement notification letter last December. Apple and Abe communicated again, through counsel, but nothing transpired from the talks.
Abe is seeking damages adequate to compensate him for Apple's alleged infringement of his patent, in an amount to be proven at trial, but no less than a reasonable royalty. The court still has to agree to hear the case.
Article Link: Japanese Entrepreneur Sues Apple Over Key Flicks and 3D Touch on iPhones and iPads
US patent law doesn't require them to use it. but in this case his base description is super broad. I mean it essentially is the definition of any touch screen device. of which there are massive amounts of prior art.
and I'm curious why, if he knew that Apple was infringing almost 10 years ago, he didn't sue then. i mean Apple had plenty of money in the bank and he could have then used that win to support further suits if they kept infringing without paying him.
Yeah, this is why Patent laws need to be fixed. It was never meant to be used this way. It's also was not to be used for common sense items. They way their using patents now. If the car was invented today. Someone like this would have have patented putting the driver in the left or right seat.
Dude, do a quick google on Gene Roddenberry...And Star Trek! They portrayed a lot of cool "technology" that has or may become real some day.