Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

DarwinOSX

macrumors 68000
Nov 3, 2009
1,658
193
Apple has send a cease and desist letter to a small German café because their logo infringes on Apple’s trademark...they can't be serious!! Protecting your IP and Trademark is good but don't make a fool of yourself.

Story in English:

http://lxnews.org/2011/10/21/apple-threatens-family-run-cafe/

You don't understand how copyright, patent law, or fiduciary duty to shareholders works or the legal repercussions if action is not taken.
 

Rodimus Prime

macrumors G4
Oct 9, 2006
10,136
4
Why would it be prior art ? There's no graphical object nor a path displayed to slide the graphical object along. It's has non-prior art as most devices are non-infringing.

That video is what Samsung used to get Apple patent thrown out in the Netherlands courts. The video is the video of the device. Chances are that same device will be used any time Apple try to use slide to unlock as a patent and pointed out that it should never of been granted.

It did work as expected in the Netherlands though, and Samsung has already brought the lowly Neonode N1m in front of the court there -- and had Apple's claims over slide to unlock determined to be "trivial and likely invalid", and the court refused to consider them.

http://www.androidcentral.com/apple...en-though-it-existed-2-years-they-invented-it
 

boss.king

macrumors 603
Apr 8, 2009
6,392
7,646
I laughed (it's a joke, please no one take offence)
1319668386428.jpg
 

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
That video is what Samsung used to get Apple patent thrown out in the Netherlands courts. The video is the video of the device. Chances are that same device will be used any time Apple try to use slide to unlock as a patent and pointed out that it should never of been granted.

I'm not saying it isn't, I'm saying that the video doesn't represent the patent as presented to the USPTO.
 

Melrose

Suspended
Dec 12, 2007
7,806
399
If a company develops a unique idea or technology, they every right to protect it. Period.
 

Melrose

Suspended
Dec 12, 2007
7,806
399
Yes, of course. I think what people take issue with is that Apple didn't invent slide to unlock.

Then if that company can protect it, they have every right to do it. Apple is not above patent law. I take issue with people saying how greedy/sue happy/yatta yatta Apple is and ignore it if it's about Google and Android.
 

boss.king

macrumors 603
Apr 8, 2009
6,392
7,646
Then if that company can protect it, they have every right to do it. Apple is not above patent law. I take issue with people saying how greedy/sue happy/yatta yatta Apple and ignore it if it's about Google and Android.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Apple should not have been granted the patent because it's not their invention. I know that's not how it works, but for them to be given a patent to something they stole in the first place is wholly unfair in my opinion (not that it matters).
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Why would it be prior art ? There's no graphical object nor a path displayed to slide the graphical object along.

Ah, good question. It was because it was such an obvious addition.

As some might recall, I first posted about the 2002 NeoNode slide-to-unlock back in early 2010. Both then, and a few months later when I presented a history of touch unlock, I commented how obvious it was to add a visible helper object.

The Netherlands judge said almost exactly the same thing when he compared the Neonode to the iPhone:

"The only difference (between the Neonode and the iPhone) is the use of an unlock image.

"The judge finds that the application of such an unlock image is obvious. (...)

"It would be trivial to work out the application of such a graphic element (feedback / interaction) from long-known virtual on / off slider buttons (on previous touch UIs)."

- Dutch court
 

MacHamster68

macrumors 68040
Sep 17, 2009
3,251
5
isnt a trademark or copyright or patent infringement classed as stealing ?

here what Steve Jobs said about it : good artists copy , great artists steal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=CW0DUg63lqU


so that means if Apple does it its a great thing , if others do it its a crime ;)


and ok you could unlock a phone differently , maybe one should get a patent for that method : you need to press the volume button and powerbutton at the same time ,while you quiclkly tap ten times the display and then a numberpad appears and you must enter a 125 digit code , ok you would have a missed call my then , but it wont infringe a Apple patent ;)


just asking myself why i never got the idea of getting the wheel patented , i could be rich by now only by suing people for building wheels round ;) the others would need to build square wheels then .
Because like Apple you dont need to be the first with the idea , you need to be the first with the patent number
 
Last edited:

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
isnt a trademark or copyright or patent infringement classed as stealing ?

Nope. The original holder of IP is not deprived of it when someone infringes on it, so it's not stealing. It's infringement. If it was stealing, they would call it theft.

so that means if Apple does it its a great thing , if others do it its a crime ;)

Copyright infringement can be criminal in the US.


and ok you could unlock a phone differently , maybe one should get a patent for that method : you need to press the volume button and powerbutton at the same time ,while you quiclkly tap ten times the display and then a numberpad appears and you must enter a 125 digit code , ok you would have a missed call my then , but it wont infringe a Apple patent ;)

Why such a convulted method ? Just use a non-infringe "slide to unlock" method as implemented by Android, WP7, webOS and others. Apple's patent is very precise.
 

MacHamster68

macrumors 68040
Sep 17, 2009
3,251
5
Copyright infringement can be criminal in the US.




Why such a convulted method ? Just use a non-infringe "slide to unlock" method as implemented by Android, WP7, webOS and others. Apple's patent is very precise.

that was only exaggerating things a bit , , to the consumer it really does not matter if you slide to unlock from left to right or from right to left or from top to bottom or from bottom to top or do you chose your phone because it unlocks in a certain manner , most choose their phones for important to them features or price
and say for example Samsung or HTC wont sell more phones or Apple less if they would unlock the same way , so whats all the fuss about patenting even the simplest of things
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
This is exactly why Android should have patented their drop down notifications feature.
 

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
so whats all the fuss about patenting even the simplest of things

What fuss ? No one has made any fuss since again, Apple's patent is very precise contrary to what the sensationalistic media would have you believe. And in some jurisdictions, it's not even valid.

And patenting the simplest of things is wrong, it prevents others from profiting from innovation that makes our lives simpler. That's why patents need to be for non-obvious and non-existing things. In the case of slide to unlock, while there is no prior art directly mimicking what Apple has patented, another court has deemed it too obvious to warrant a patent based on prior art that does implement parts of the patent.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
i see that patent things just a way of eliminating competition

That's kinda the primary goal of any business. Eliminate the competition and become the sole supplier. Ideally, you don't want any competition to exist.

Obviously, your view of patents is more than a little obtuse (patents exist for a good reason - ask any software developer intent on making a living), but your comment is interesting, in that a business ideally wants to do anything in its power, within financial and legal allowances, to eliminate or otherwise hinder competitors. This sort of activity is in fact, perfectly normal, as long as it takes place within the legal framework that is there to address it.
 

MacHamster68

macrumors 68040
Sep 17, 2009
3,251
5
That's kinda the primary goal of any business. Eliminate the competition and become the sole supplier. Ideally, you don't want any competition to exist.

Obviously, your view of patents is more than a little obtuse (patents exist for a good reason - ask any software developer intent on making a living), but your comment is interesting, in that a business ideally wants to do anything in its power, within financial and legal allowances, to eliminate or otherwise hinder competitors. This sort of activity is in fact, perfectly normal, as long as it takes place within the legal framework that is there to address it.

yes i know how patenting works , and i understand the reason why companies patent everything (profit) , but i see it from another point , if only one has the patent , then you rely totally on that one to eventually sort out a bug or just make it better or cheaper(the later is unlikely).
todays patents make it nearly impossible for other companies or inventors to materialize a idea because they need to waste first thousands of hours and money to find out if their idea does not infringe any other patent in some even not related way registered by somebody else somewhere in that world , so in my view patents hinder progress of technology and as it kills competition too you rely on that one company to dictate the price which is bad for the consumer
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
:eek: A major infringement! Get to it Apple!
 

Attachments

  • Ann_Summers_logo.JPG
    Ann_Summers_logo.JPG
    137.4 KB · Views: 74

anotonin

macrumors member
Oct 19, 2011
94
0
Apple has send a cease and desist letter to a small German café because their logo infringes on Apple’s trademark...they can't be serious!! Protecting your IP and Trademark is good but don't make a fool of yourself.

Story in English:

http://lxnews.org/2011/10/21/apple-threatens-family-run-cafe/

hahahahahahahahahahaha

Really? Apple? Just because they have an apple fruit in their logo? I thought you were classier than that.

At least, when Sony years back had a similar tiff with a restaurant was because the owner was also using the word 'Sony' in her restaurant name. Even though Sony was the name of the owner, which perhaps did bring out confusion to some people.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.