Apple sued over every touch screen they make.

[Mkilbride]

Apple has been sued in U.S. District Court for patent infringement. The complaint alleges that Apple’s touch interface devices – yes, all of them – infringe on a patent owned by Flatworld Interactives, LLC.

...Every multitouch device Apple makes – iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, iPod Nano, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and the trackpads on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air – infringes this patent. Flatworld claims that “Apple’s infringement of the… patent has been on a massive scale, and has taken place with actual knowledge of the inventions claimed therein.” The complaint asks for a permanent injunction against the infringing products and “damages in an amount sufficient to compensate for Apple’s infringement,” award triple damages, and order Apple to pay FlatWorld’s attorney fees.

http://www.webpronews.com/apple-sued-over-every-touchscreen-device-they-make-2012-04

Well the biggest patent abuser gets hit hard. I imagine if you have Apple stock, now is the time to sell it.

This could destroy them a good bit.

 

[Tenzo]

I guess only time will tell.

 

[IFlip92]

While I think they should pay for their infringement, I think that Flatworld Interactives are asking a bit too much. Its almost as if they are set on bringing Apple down all-together. While I am not a big fan of Apple and their products, I would not like to see them gone.

 

[Mkilbride]

While I think they should pay for their infringement, I think that Flatworld Interactives are asking a bit too much. Its almost as if they are set on bringing Apple down all-together. While I am not a big fan of Apple and their products, I would not like to see them gone.

You would not like to see a company that stifles competition and innovation? They are a cancer on the tech world right now. They are slowing things down, massively, for everyone.

 

[Denz]

how so?

 

[Deverz]

Remember their patent on unlocking touch screens?

 

[Baaja]

A speedbump, nothing else. I would imagine that Apple have had far worse patentwars with Samsung and others than this.

 

[vector]

doubt this going to go through ......

 

[IFlip92]

You would not like to see a company that stifles competition and innovation? They are a cancer on the tech world right now. They are slowing things down, massively, for everyone.

How is Apple doing what you're saying?

 

[Deverz]

How is Apple doing what you're saying?

Like this

Remember their patent on unlocking touch screens?

They use legal means (ie. vague patents) to block the competition from being able to progress

 

[sub]

The entire patent industry needs to be rethought when it comes to software patents and even patents like this. You can claim that Apple stifles innovation, but Flatworld's patent stifles innovation too, it's a bull**** patent.

 

[Chakra-X]

Apple gets all kinds of lawsuits all the time. This will not "destroy them" in the least. I dislike Apple's "PATENT EVERYTHING SO NO ONE ELSE CAN DO IT" concept, though. That's why Steve Jobs was so pissed at Android, but even though they popularized it, they need to get over themselves.

Also everyone can **** on Apple if they want, but honestly the whole touch screen smart phone market, as well as the tablet marked, was boomed because of Apple. Sure it sucks that they weren't the first to make a "touch screen, multimedia phone" and that the original inventors get overlooked, but being able to market, popularize, and optimize the concept for a company that had less then 10% in the PC market is impressive.

 

[Darth Revan]

I can see a southpark episode out of this and all the hill billys screaming THEY TOOK OUR JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOB

 

[Baaja]

But patents are there to reward innovation, it's an incentive and protects the innovator. How else could companies spend so much on R&D to produce a product, that by production, market and design is optimal and then lose it to their competitors or some other ripoff company that now don't have the same cost drivers and can take 90% of the market and make a 100% profit?

A certain type of medical pill that took years of research to produce is sold per pill for 12 USD in the US but the same pill could a few years back be sold for 12 cents in India. Where would import from? But with fair patent laws such things can be averted.

 

[macdaddymario]

The entire patent industry needs to be rethought when it comes to software patents and even patents like this. You can claim that Apple stifles innovation, but Flatworld's patent stifles innovation too, it's a bull**** patent.

The current patent industry works fine.. when people aren't trying to **** each other out of money. Way it works now, if there is a patent on it, you go to the owner, work it out with lawyers, and are allowed to use the design. If they say no, then you are S.O.L. and it's time to move on. The only time this doesn't work, is this, making it a perfect example. Apple wanted the $, so they went ahead and did it anyway.. instead of say 65% profit (a number that still would have seen them in the black), they wanted 100%. Greed is the only reason the patent industry today has an issue. Cause people would rather battle it out in court after the fact.

Just my opinion on that matter.

 

[Denz]

Ive heard that Coca-Cola patented their red color tone, you can use pretty much similar tone, that no one will notice the difference, but you can't use their tone xD

 

[Deverz]

That would be a Trade Mark it's not something they claimed to have invented

Cadbury have the same thing with the colour purple

 

[Denz]

yes, trade mark, I can imagine how 200 years in future will look like once everything is trade marked and patented.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Apple will either fight this, or settle it out of court if their lawyers believe there is the slightest chance they might lose.

There may be a small and temporary fallout, e.g. stock prices could fall on speculation. But Apple will come out of this fine.