Key Claim of Apple's 'Rubber Banding' Patent Once Again Found Invalid by U.S. Patent Office

[Oletros]

Out of all these patents rubber banding is most apple and is the one that should be plenty patentable!

It is patentable, the problem is that someone patented it first

 

[djgamble]

********, they had it first. I had never seen it until I saw it on the first iPhone.

Nobody seems to debate that part... the lawyers just seem to think that because it's software it's different from something solid.

In contrast the guy who made the plastic things that keep shoe lace ends together made squillions on the basis that he got there first. Why can Google get away with stealing Apple's shoelace ends?

To me (a non-inventor and non-lawyer) the spirit of patents is that if you create something, you have the right to produce it exclusively in order to keep a competitive edge over others. To me it's just plain rude that Google stole Apple's idea without reservation and can't offer them pocket money for it.

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Look at a phone:
1) You pay for GPS/compass patents.
2) You pay for WiFi patents.
3) You pay for 3G/4G patents.
4) Pretty well every little component is patented by a silly company you've never heard of and they get their piece of the pie.

Apple comes along and makes things usable... Google can just copy them and intentionally license "iPhone killer" technology, aimed at killing Apple's competitive edge. What isn't wrong about this?

 

[Oletros]

Nobody seems to debate that part... the lawyers just seem to think that because it's software it's different from something solid.

Perhaps nobody debates it because they have read the rejection notice and have saw that there is PRIOR art. Do you know what it means the word prior?

By the way, you not seeing before doesn't means that id didn't existed

Apple comes along and makes things usable... Google can just copy them and intentionally license "iPhone killer" technology, aimed at killing Apple's competitive edge. What isn't wrong about this?

Exactly what has copied Google?

 

[samcraig]

You think people don't know those companies have been doing cell phones for years before Apple? However, those were the same companies who have been stagnating for years. RIM and Motorola almost went bankruptcy after the iPhone and Nokia was losing millions and market share. The only company (Samsung) able to keep up was by copying some things.

People always say previous smartphone had more features than the iPhone. Seriously show me anyone who would go back Window Mobile or Symbian.

You missed the point of my post and why I responded that way. Maybe you need to read the whole thread - or at least the posts I was responding to.

Your "rant" has nothing to do with what I was conveying. My post was never about which phone people prefer to use or whether or not Apple "changed" the industry.

You're also forgetting that the iPhone (original) didn't sell that well. It wasn't a phenomenon. And it wasn't just the price point either.

What people would do now is irrelevant to the discussion. I also wouldn't go back to a horse and buggy for getting to and from work. I wouldn't buy blocks of ice instead of a refrigerator. I wouldn't type my documents on a typewriter.

 

[G4DP]

I second that! I still remember in the 2007 Macworld Keynote address, the scrolling and 'rubber banding' were two distinctive features of the iPhone.

Steve even said, 'And boy have we patented it!' (he was referring to the 'Multi-Touch')
If Steve were here, I wonder what he would think.

Shock horror he lied. They may have applied for patents on it all, but clearly most if not all had not been granted.

If any small company went to a large investor and said that they would laughed at. They would be required to provide proof of the patents being granted.

 

[bwillwall]

It's not really the point in this ruling. This latest decision the claim was "deemed anticipate (i.e. not-novel)". So regardless of who came up with it first, it just isn't unusual/inventive enough to be patent-able.
.

If they created it it is theirs. I is not an obvious thing in my opinion. Maybe it just seems like it because everyone has seen it now.