Is Apple just a patent troll ?

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turnin

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#94874 20-Dec-2011 16:57

I was amazed, not sure why I'm so easily amazed, but I was really really taken back by todays news.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397832,00.asp

It seems like apple have a patent on "data tapping" so when you come across a phone number it becomes underlined, you tap it and can call or email for example. Well, we are all used to that and Apple say it's their idea.

I think this time Apple , you have gone too far. If you want to take down technology other than yours by patenting such things as data tapping then anyone who owns a website with a hyperlink on it is probably violating the same patent.

Technology and ideas can not continue to spawn when stupid patents that are so vague and unrealistic that they will inhibit any tech ideas going forward.

will Apple put a patent on Christmas, I recall Adam and Eve had a wee tussle over one and look what happened out of that.

seriously I think these patents are going way too far

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#560020 20-Dec-2011 17:18

It's luckily not going to affect a thing. HTC have already stated they are working on an update to fix the "issue" and the other patents actually got lost by Apple.

HTC Statement:
This decision is a win for HTC and we are gratified that the commission affirmed the judge's determination on the '721 and '983 patents, and reversed its decision on the '263 patent and partially on the '647 patent. We are very pleased with the determination and we respect it. The '647 patent is a small UI experience and HTC will completely remove it from all of our phones soon.

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gehenna

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#560054 20-Dec-2011 19:14

Hence why software patents are a bad idea.

MikeSkyrme

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#560059 20-Dec-2011 19:38

gehenna: Hence why software patents are a bad idea.

A fairly generalised statement.

I imagine someone who has spent thousands of hours developing software would disagree with you.

In fact, Steve Jobs might have had something to say about it.....

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kyhwana2

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#560094 20-Dec-2011 21:28

Jobs stole the idea of the GUI from Xeox Parc, so I don't see you can say "oh steve jobs might have something to say"

Software patents are all pretty much BS.

MikeSkyrme

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#560104 20-Dec-2011 21:46

kyhwana2: Jobs stole the idea of the GUI from Xeox Parc, so I don't see you can say "oh steve jobs might have something to say"

Software patents are all pretty much BS.

depends whose version you prefer to believe. As I understand it, Apple already had a GUI, the difference being that theirs did not work properly. The visit to Xerox Parc gave Apple the opportunity to see a working version of what they were already working on.

Either way, surely this only enforces my argument that patents are not a waste of time.

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

nakedmolerat

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#560119 21-Dec-2011 00:08

MikeSkyrme:
kyhwana2: Jobs stole the idea of the GUI from Xeox Parc, so I don't see you can say "oh steve jobs might have something to say"

Software patents are all pretty much BS.

depends whose version you prefer to believe. As I understand it, Apple already had a GUI, the difference being that theirs did not work properly. The visit to Xerox Parc gave Apple the opportunity to see a working version of what they were already working on.

Either way, surely this only enforces my argument that patents are not a waste of time.

before Apple started their work, my grand dad was working on something similar. he was struggling to make it work due to cost and time. he visited Apple and saw what they tried to do. he was happy to see that Xerox Parc managed to make a working version of what he tried to develop during his visit there

software patents are BS and a form of bully.

Handsomedan

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#560146 21-Dec-2011 09:09

Software patents are a necessary evil - unfortunately there is so much software patent trolling that it has become farcical.

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jonherries

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#560156 21-Dec-2011 09:41

Back to the thread title, I believe the definition of a patent troll is a company which is exerting a patent for something they own the intellectual property for, but don't actually make (feel free to correct me on this).

Eg.

If I had a patent on a super dooper coffee maker, and didn't actually make coffee makers, but sued everyone that tried to make a super dooper coffee maker, I would be a patent troll.

However if I made a super dooper coffee maker, and had secured the intellectual property rights, then someone else decided to make a super dooper coffee maker, and I sued them for it I would be a regular company...

Not saying patents are good, just sayin you need to be careful with the troll word...

gehenna

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#560158 21-Dec-2011 09:48

MikeSkyrme:
I imagine someone who has spent thousands of hours developing software would disagree with you.

That's what Copyright is for. Patenting a function is ridiculous.

Zeon

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#560171 21-Dec-2011 10:14

Patenting has got out of control. The funny thing is that many of the truly innovative stuff (like the Siri AI etc.) wouldn't be patented as its giving away IP. But patenting underlining a word, seriously?!

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dman

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#571448 20-Jan-2012 20:34

The only good which can come from the mobile phone patent wars is that I hope the masses wake up and realise how bad this broad idea of "Intellectual Property" is and gets rid of it.

Am willing to have a discussion about keeping a limited form of copyright for instance. Which would answer your concerns about books/composers/artists.

But patents, and in particular software patents? Nah.

It is the choking stranglehold on innovation and development which is the major problem.

Imagine you're a little kiwi start up which is making an AMAZING new mobile phone platform.... sorry, you're screwed! Apple and others will crush you before you even get to market, and even IF you do get to market you'll find yourself blocked. Unable to sell anything at all as they'll have got court injunctions stopping you from even having anything on store shelves (don't laugh, Apple actually stopped Samsung. Cost millions in lawyers but Samsung eventually overturned that).

The legal hurdle is so massive it makes it impossible for any NZ company (or any small company or start up anywhere in the world) to even think about investigating developing an entirely new device. Heck, the situation is soooo bad even a massively big company such as *Google* is genuinely threatened by this. Is a real possibility that Android (which I should repeat again, is backed by *Google*!!) could die out if in the future Apple gets a few lucky lawsuits going its way.

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nakedmolerat

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#571454 20-Jan-2012 20:51

History/fact:

Kodak was busy trolling patents prior to filing bankruptcy this year

Ragnor

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#571455 20-Jan-2012 20:58

MikeSkyrme:

Either way, surely this only enforces my argument that patents are not a waste of time.

Patents are supposed to be non-obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, more than a common sense good idea.

Software patents are like being able to patent maths. Imagine if pythagoras theorum was patented and you had to get permission from a company to use maths! Welcome to software patents...

In the US online dating sites have patented "matching" formulas already which are simply applied maths.

Take a look at the type of things that have been patented in the US (note: NZ and other countries do not have software patents) like:
- One click purchasing
- Backing up data online
- Pop up windows on the web
- Providing a user interface

These are not novel inventions, it's a complete joke.

dman

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#571457 20-Jan-2012 21:00

With the death of film it was the only thing Kodak had left to try to wring money out of!

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wsnz

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#571621 21-Jan-2012 13:58

MikeSkyrme:
gehenna: Hence why software patents are a bad idea.

A fairly generalised statement.

I imagine someone who has spent thousands of hours developing software would disagree with you.

In fact, Steve Jobs might have had something to say about it.....

Remember that prior to patents being made enforceable on software inventions, copyright protected such development.

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