Seems pretty poor it's just apple products here that are being sued over this, when every thin phone/aio PC is in potential infringement 
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THX Sues Apple Over Alleged 'Narrow Profile Speaker' Patent Infringement
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Next thing you know is Bose jumps into the fray, claiming they invented long sound chamber to enhance acoustics of speaker. Apple started it all with litigation. Now they taste their their own bitter med; and I am still a fanboy but believing fairness. Either hire more personnel at Patent Office or deny frivolous patents to avoid future headaches.
THX is BS anyhow, just a nice logo that manufacturers can pay to have on their crappy systems. I understand all this patent stuff if some sort of product is actually being made but THX is just mad that Apple doesn't pay them just to be able to flash the THX logo on their site.
next thing you know I'm gonna get sued for cause sound is coming out of my mouth.
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Apple made a multi touch smart phone, they sued others that copied the it and are ALSO making a multi touch smart phone. Yeah I guess its the same as a speaker certification company suing cause a phone has sound
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Apple made a multi touch smart phone, they sued others that copied the it and are ALSO making a multi touch smart phone. Yeah I guess its the same as a speaker certification company suing cause a phone has sound
Apart from protecting ones intellectual property.... Comes to mind.
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Solution: Come to some nice financial agreement with THX, then ask THX if you can use their brand in Apple marketing (could perhaps actually lower the damages Apple would have to pay). BAM. "iMac speakers using THX technology." THX is a brand with very nice value much like Apple's, and these brands suit each other like bread and butter. Hopefully THX & Apple can do something constructive out of this. It'd of course give THX more exposure as well. I still mostly just know it from the Star Wars era and, yeah well, some, uh, certification.
Idiotic posts like this kill me. Do you actually have the patent detail? Doesn't the fact that almost every phone/tablet produced before, during and after the iPhone release follow that form factor suggest that it couldn't be granted on prior art?
It escapes you that there might be more to the patent than rounded corners?
Making the assumption that you are American here but that's why a stereo exists that makes people think you are all idiots. The patent system doesn't help.
The details need to be posted before comment is passed. A term like 'Slim' or 'Narrow' is relative. Exactly what is it about a speaker that makes it qualify as slim?
Maybe I'm missing something, but didn't the iMac G5 have speakers that project the sound through slots/holes at the bottom? and this was in production 4 years before the THX patent of 2008
very true, Patents are like music or movies or art painting, its creator should be considered the owner and anyone copying it without permission is doing wrong and yes some patents are very wague.
THX was spun off from LucasFilm in 2001. Apparently 60% is now owned by Creative Labs which in 2011 made a huge loss and in 2012 managed to only get back into profit by selling of subsidiaries.
But I'd agree something is fishy...
I'd like to suggest you're missing something. Apple couldn't possibly not know that prior art exists in one of their own products, and THX must be aware of this too. The patent detail is missing, maybe because this is a site that debates?
So they have a patent for a speaker that projects sound through a narrow slot... that's a pretty handy patent to have, because no one would think of doing that...
I know! Just like using a rectangle shape for a phone and a grid based app launcher
THX used to be owned by LucasFilms, it was spun off around 2002 or so.. If it were still owned by LucasFilms, there likely wouldn't be a lawsuit due to the Disney/Apple connection.
Just speculating here, but can't it be that they have had discussions in the background for some time, where THX have tried to get Apple to pay what they belive is fair royalty for using their patent? Apple have in that case probably rejected this and after seeing no other way to get paid THX have now decided to file a suit.
It sounds nice, but does THX, best known for big theatrical systems, want to be associated with tiny cell phone and built-in computer speakers? Just asking, I'm not opposed in principle, but the speakers would have to deliver and not just surpass the competition, but blow it away.
Maybe Apple should simply buy THX.
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That list will be shorter than the list of companies that are not being sued by Apple...