First of all, that was Pablo Picasso who originally said that. Second, and more importantly, he wasn't trying to justify theft of intellectual property. Why does this quote come up every time a company blatantly copies an Apple design? There's a reason Xiaomi hasn't sold phones in the West yet.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra Defends Against Copycat Accusations in New Interview
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's not theft when it's legal. Apple has bought out lots of companies. There's been talks about Apple buying ARM and having their own CPU, thus competing against Intel, costing them millions as well. But nobody will have an issue with that, right?
So basically, it's excusable when Apple does it, but not when it's someone else.
Hardly objective.
Sure... The chamfered edge is the only thing...
WOW!!! That sure is an awful lot of chamfered edges there!!!!!
They put Samsung to pure shame with their skills at copying. I saw a Xiaomi tablet in the Android news once and just thought it's skin was a blatant iPad rip off! They are truly master copiers.
I'm confused why you are spending time here. Apple never invented multitouch and never claimed to, but they did bring it mainstream in a way that no other competitor had yet.. They did not invent round corners and that was never the claim, but it was a defining aspect of their already-mainstream products that competitors since copied. They never invented the Home button, but they did just have ONE button at the bottom of the phone whereas competitors typically had three buttons. This separated the iPhone from the rest and since it was a design element, Apple could defend it. The MacBook Air was the first mainstream laptop with the design characteristics that were since copied by competitors. So.. what is your argument again?
LOL, yes he was.
And Xiaomi isn't going to sell phones in USA because Apple is known to sue even over frivolous crap like rounded corners.
Yes, the phones are similar... but so are Apple's to other phones. They don't own the industry.
Wow and I thought Samsung was bad. These guys have absolutely no shame. But then again I guess the best way to get a foothold in the industry is the copy the industry leader. Worked for Samsung and it appears to be working for them. He's in denial though. Just acknowledge you're copying, make your money, and move on.
But that's the difference. Apple doesn't copy other companies, they outright buy a company when they want to use their technology. Buying a company is legal. Copying patents isn't.
Can we at least agree with no equvocation they copied Apple's look and feel shamelessly?
Aesthetics are not patented so there was nothing illegal and Apple doesn't have a case, therefor, all the complaining in this thread is rendered pointless.
Yes... you can patent an improvement:
any person who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent
- uspto.gov
I've owned every Apple product since 1972, but they all suck, etc....
Yes, I don't think anyone is crazy enough to deliberately be delusional and deny that Xiaomi copied Apple's aesthetics.
Hell, even I recognized this when I had an HTC Glacier phone; I hate iOS's locked down limitations, so I went with Android, but I do like Apple's aesthetics choices so I rooted the phone and flashed MIUI which DID resemble Apple's iOS.
Is it illegal? No, its not the same.
Exactly. His argument is that, "Well, since we've all copied Apple (products, stores--looking at you too, Microsoft, etc.), no one can really be faulted because Apple isn't the exclusive purveyor of that product/design/etc.".
1. Aesthetics can absolutely be patented. You might want to do some research and come back.
2. A second way companies can protect their designs is to incorporate it into their logo and trademark it. Apple is a master at doing this. There's a reason they use the iPhone design in marketing copy as the logo (see below for an example) as it allows them to sue not only for patent infringement but also for trademark infringement. Because of this, companies like Samsung and Xiaomi are violating patents and trademarks alike.
I stand corrected.
Anyway, doesn't matter, Steve Jobs' intentions are clear, he wanted the world to see that they somehow invented multitouch, he skirted around and now everyone believes that apple did in fact invent multitouch when we know they didnt.
Looks like Xiaomi even copied Samsung's copy machines.
You mean the person who said that Jobs lied lied? Or do you think the person who said that Jobs lied was just wrong?
Here's an incredible thing that Apple invented and that no desktop or laptop could live without: Overlapping windows.
Bizarrely, Bill Atkinson who created overlapping windows was absolutely sure that he was just copying what he had seen at Xerox. It turned out he was wrong. Xerox never had overlapping windows and was totally surprised when they saw them (on a Lisa, not on a Mac).
1. Aesthetics can absolutely be patented. You might want to do some research and come back.
2. A second way companies can protect their designs is to incorporate it into their logo and trademark it. Apple is a master at doing this. There's a reason they use the iPhone design in marketing copy as the logo (see below for an example) as it allows them to sue not only for patent infringement but also for trademark infringement. Because of this, companies like Samsung and Xiaomi are violating patents and trademarks alike.
Even single design elements?
So if I create my own kickstarter campaign with a phone with rounded corners, am I somehow copying Apple? Am I violating a patent that says 'the invention of rounded corners belongs to apple. only they may make phones with such a feature'
You have to recognize how ridiculous such a law would be.
Btw, if you watch that Vanity Fair interview with Jony Ive he never mentioned Xiaomi specifically. Someone in the audience asked him a question about Xiaomi and copying but when he answered the question he said he was talking in general terms not about anyone specific. Hugo Barra getting defensive about it means he knows everything he's saying is BS.
What is Xiaomi?
How can anyone believe a chamfered edge is protected by a patent? I guess maybe I need to stop chamfering my wood furniture.
How can anyone believe a chamfered edge is protected by a patent? I guess maybe I need to stop chamfering my wood furniture.
See how much Apple has been copying Xiaomi! They even copy Xiaomi before Xiaomi can release a product themselves!