Apple starts Patent war with HTC
Today Apple sent a press release announcing that they’ve filed a lawsuit against HTC for infringing 20 of Apple’s patents related to iPhone interface and the underlying architecture and hardware. The lawsuit was filed with U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”
Apple is specifically going after HTC’s phones that are running Google’s Android software rather than the phones that are running Windows Mobile. By suing HTC for using Android’s operating system, is Apple trying to scare other manufacturers from using Google’s Android operating systems on their future devices? This is what it looks like to me. Going through the boring list of patents Apple listed in their complaint, I noticed that one of the patents they complained about was the “Swipe to unlock” feature. I find it ridiculous that a company can patent these types of simple features, and hope that Apple looses this case. If you are bored you can see a list of all the patents here.
[via Apple Press Release]
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37 Comments
I’m sorry I think you are being totally ridiculous…apple not winning a case based upon the slide to unlock feature. Apple technitions created that feature and it’s coding, why should they not take pride in their work and keep it safe behind a patent?
Just like a majority of the google andriod phones have their nifty little unlock puzzle, but apple isn’t going to steal it, sure in an unlocked iPhone u can find the coding program in cydia…seriously a patent isn’t ridiculous, and htc needs to continue to use their own ideas and not someone elses…I hope apple wins this lawsuite.
-F is right, Apple shouldn’t be able to patent interface elements. It’s just like saying Windows has copy and paste, and Mac OS copied them. Do you think Microsoft should patent copy and paste and then sue others who are using it as well?
Actually, Microsoft was the one who got sued. They lost a lawsuit about them putting a function into Microsoft Word 2007 without acknowledging the original creator. I do agree with you though, Apple shouldn’t be able to patent interface elements. HTC should say that Apple’s patent is a monopoly of the market. If Nintendo can’t patent their Wiimote, Apple shouldn’t be able to patent their touch screen technology. The same thing goes for the Madden Football franchise, they were charged with Monopoly of the market(They had a patent on football games). Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.” Bulls**t, Apple is truly just afraid of what The Android System could become. Be afraid Apple, be very afraid.
But apple is only pressing charges against htc, not motorola nor any of the other electrical companies using the android os…soo really how is that them being afraid of the android os?? It is litterly on htc, now the patent on the unlock feature, again they have the patent on the interface, my gf lg phone is a hold to unlock, my friends mytouch is a puzzle to unlock, and my friends blackberry storm is totally different…yet my iphoen is a slide to unlock…I’m sorry htc musta screwed up somewhere then
dman ,so what to dialing,keyboard tech on touch phone ? is there patent right with apple? or who else? sense less ideology.
The patent is based on unlocking a phone by interfacing with objects. virtually every Cell phone with a touch screen has some interaction with the user to unlock the phone. My LG versa unlocks in a nearly identical manner, yet Apple is not suing LG. The fact is, Apple is scared of what Android OS will do to their market share and are grasping at anything that will allow them to stay afloat.
This is absurd. When is somebody going to sue Apple for using Touch Screen technology they did not create. As for the swipe feature I was using a software program back in the 90′s that used touch screen and swipe to move food and drink orders around. This was not developed by Apple by any stretch of the imagination.It’s just that the sole proprietor/developer does not have the resources to go after them. Before you know it Apple will be saying they developed all the technology that is used in any form of communications for space travel. Let’s get real this technology has been their for years. Hell, I remember when I use to swipe my hand across the door to close it and got shit from my parents for leaving a streak, sound familiar!?
Once again this is absurd……
@Dman: The problem is that the patent is not about the code, but about the interface element. It’s about on par with patenting horizontally opening car doors: ridiculous.
You are right, man!
It is ridiculous.
Here in Saudi Arabia we’re looking to transfare from iPhone to HTC or Blackberry, or Nokia
because the locked programs to i phones
all of us talking about the big problem (updating OS to 3.1.3 base band 05.12.01)
hope that resolved
WTF ok apple is starting to really piss me off and loads of ppl i noe , allways tryin to be better and now they made some fukin stupid idea of ipad wtf is tht about some massive thing instead of an ipod they take things to far i think and hope apple dies one day !
bet even bill gates could make a better type of ipod but his own idea and with windows and everything and carry more memory like 1 tb now tht be sick , apple r a rip off big time seriously RIP OFF ! and not to mention tht they made some stupid firmware 3.1.3 tht u cant on the 3g ipod touch jailbreak , come on everything now adays is hacked and broken into stop tryin to make things not hackable in the end YOU WILL LOSE ALLWAYS !! so im sayin give up on trying to make it unhackable in the end u noe who wins and its not u
LoL! Bill Gates DID make his own verson of the Ipod….IT’S CALLED THE ZUNE!!! And it sucks! LoL!
Actually, I had a zune before I got the ipod touch. I like the apps on the ipod touch and it’s more useful to me because its basically a PDA. That said, the zune is a really good mp3 player, in most respects better than the ipod for music which is what it’s for. Obviously you have not owned one and its childish to make blanket statements about products you don’t use.
the zune didnt suck but there was already to many handheld media devices on the market and they stuffed up big time with the countries the sold it in WHY not world wide. it had better features but who wants to change from something they know how to use and they know works EG iPod
hope apple gives up on tryin to make somthing stupid i bet in 2 years it will make somthin like an ipad but much bigger come on who is goin to buy a massive ipod ! wots the point , and so wot if HTC took a swipe thing from apple its not tht big to make a big fus over and i bet in the black market ppl have made copys of the ipod in a way or somthing and they dont noe about it
actually forget wot i said in a way but still ITS NO BIG DEAL , even the smallest thing will tick off apple and also they cant stop ppl from jailbreaking ipods everyone has a jailbreakd ipod touch or iphone ppl will jus be more carfull
Well, I’m on apple’s side, if it’s patented it’s for a reason. What’s the point of getting the patent if other people are going to be able to steal the idea, the patent is supposed to protect you from this kind of thing.
Sue, what Apple have effectively done, is seen that HTC and Android are becoming far more popular than the iPhone, and decided to take them to court. I have a HTC HD2, and its quite possibly one of the best pure-screen phone’s I’ve ever owned. I’ve played with the iPhone and iPod touch hundreds of times, and I’ve never liked them.
As -F said, they’ve patented a slide-to-unlock concept. Do you think the guy who invented the threaded screw patented it so that every other screw couldn’t? HTC could quite easily change their software and make it so it slides vertically, but it’s what the user wants.
I really am hoping the court takes action against Apple for wasting their time in something as stupid and pathetic as this.
If someone had read the actual list of patents the “slide to unlock” patent is “performing a gesture on a image to unlock a device”.
Steve jobs is one big douche. Someone should put a patent On the QWERTY layout of keyboards and Sue the shit out of everyone
I find it insane that they can put patents on the simplest things. Apple might as well patent how people breathe, because that is the direction they are heading.
apple relized they screwd up by releasing 3 of the same exact phones and relly no to little speed difference and htc puts out a veriety of phones and htc basicly just got readyy to officaly take apples throne with the unrelesed htc phone so they take them to court and during that period they have to hualt those phones from relesing in the usa what a b***H move apple whats wrong cant handle the heat
hope apple gets raped by retarded monkeys
Wow, now this is just crazy. I know its business and peoples hard work but court over something as this. Crap and I am waiting for the new HTC HD2, I hope its not delayedbecause of this crap, I want it now…
the HTC HD2 has been out since november 2009
You all are idiots that donot have a iPhone jaja htc is for idiots…
your comment speaks for itself
but as far as I am concerned, Apple lost my support.
the slide to unlock feature on the htc is far diffrent from the iphone for starters there is at the top u can also slide the htc 1 left or right and it will unlock and also if you miss a call or get a text you can tap on the htc slide to unlock you can slective wat u want to see when u unlock the fone.
the “WAR” on htc is just because of fear because htc would be making a better fone than the iphone so they will make up anythin to hold them back intill they are apple to get the new iphone out
the new iphone will be out in 3-4 months
htc new phone is out in 2 months
i think apple can patent certain things but not a slide to unlock interface.
sure they should be able to patent their tab/icon based interface that they have and have always had as its a unique interface not a simble basic one.
htc/microsoft should just go in together and patent all the other stuff iphone may like to have in the future like java or flash or wifi haha.
if they win a case like this im going to go out and patent rubber…
iPhone has always had wifi you tool.
I can tell none of you work with patents, I do, and damn right Apple should sue, folks do not realize the amount of money these companies sink into creating a patent and also yearly fees they have to pay to maintain that, thats the whole point of patents, so that others can not copy certain things for a certain amount of time. You may think Apple is being picky, but patents are there for a reason, and that reason is so ideas are not stolen, and at the end of the day, even if the phone is better they still used a patent, that was not theres.
apple will lose this lawsuit
@msean
Finally, some logic here besides some of the other “wot da fuk theyz gon loose” type garble. Apple is right. As much as I disagree with them patenting a simple feature like that, a patent is a patent and can’t be copied. I’m sure Apple will get the better part of this lawsuit.
to msean
doesn’t matter how much money apple sunk into the patent, the problem is the patent itself is stupid, you’re argument is invalid
Listen, this is simple.
let me explain…
You create something like the best critic ever that everyone is talking about… let me show you:
Now I copy it, change 2 or 3 words :
” Today Apple DECIDED TO filed a lawsuit against HTC for infringing 20 of Apple’s patents related to iPhone interface and the underlying architecture and hardware. The lawsuit was filed with U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”
Apple is specifically going after HTC’s phones that are running Google’s Android software rather than the phones that are running Windows Mobile. By suing HTC for using Android’s operating system, is Apple trying to scare other manufacturers from using Google’s Android operating systems on their future devices? This is what it looks like to me. SOME COMPLAINTS ARE RIDICULOUS, ONE BEING the patents they complained about was the “Swipe to unlock” feature. I find it ridiculous that a company can patent these types of simple features, and hope that Apple looses this case. If you are bored you can see a list of all the patents… ”
MY SIGNATURE HERE…
now I use this review in a major newspaper and claim it being mine and there is BUZZ around my idea, it is beneficial for my career but I could not have done it without getting my inspiration from you…
So let’s see now, what do you answer to that… Technically, you should not care and you will be happy me copying all your content and use it for my own benefit? Right?
how about i patent usb-charging
all u iphone loving ppl can go to hell then yaawn
1st of all the HTC unlock isint even SIMILAR to slidetounlock
2nd of all you cannot patent such a thing and if they really did put a bunch of money and did ot probably went for bribes. they MAY patent their own proprietary slide thingy not THE IDEA OF UNLOCKING A PHONE. for f*** sake get common sense ppl.
and if im wrong and in the US u can patent power-buttons and left-mouse-buttons just cause u have $$ then it just proves to me again the stupidity of said country
3rd im to demotivated by now to write more. GLHF Apple. You cant fall with honor, yll die with yr face in da mud ;* so long 1$+ for app, insane DRM and handicapped devices! ALL HAIL ANDROID
I agree.
Also there is technology and software for unlocking your phone that you only have to touch it or even just talk to it (voice rec). So who’s going to patent talking to your phone now, even if I have to rewrite the program!? Hell if you don’t talk to your phone nobody can hear you or understand what you want. So like the caption says “LETSGETREAL” or did I just steal somebodies patent?