Apple's patent absurdity exposed at last

US appeal court judge Richard Posner has finally said the unsayable: that Apple's and other tech firms' patent battles are a ridiculous abuse of intellectual property law

What is Apple scared of anyway?
The only way a company will go to extreme circumstances like Apple is doing now, would be if you are trying to eliminate your competition because you know you are failing big time and are starting to run on desperate mode!

For Apple to be claiming that Google can't use the "swipe" feature is just dumb if you ask me. Then again, this is coming from a company that has a patent on shapes already

Apple was suing Google (which had purchased Motorola in order to get its hands on the phone company's patent portfolio) over alleged infringement of Apple's smartphone patents.

At one point, for example, Apple claimed that Google was infringing one of its patents on the process of unlocking a phone by swiping the screen. "Apple's argument that a tap is a zero-length swipe," said Posner, "is silly. It's like saying that a point is a zero-length line."

Source

....if Apple is losing the battle of popularity then I guess that's the only shameful way to stop other companies to develop the same technology, by coming up with useless, childish, unintelligent law suits.

....a tap is a zero-length swipe

Man, this isn't protecting intellectual property rights. This is obstruction of your competetion and interference with fair trade.

Zero length swipe? Really? Sounds like zero length balls to me. Or infinity length horse puckey.

Lol, intellectual "property" rights. The power to prevent competition in one's own market is absolutely bound to be severely overused and abused. Intellectual property rights doesn't seem to help the market any. I'm really against anything that prevents competition in the marketplace. The more obfuscated the marketplace becomes, the less quality is provided. The only thing that can maintain and improve quality is competition.

It's also funny to see apple do the obvious and abuse the system as you knew they were going to.

reply to post by TheEnlightenedOne


"You know that you are failing" You do realize as of last week Apple IS THE NUMBER ONE COMPANY EVER! PERIOD! They have made more money than Bill Gates and Microsoft could dream of...IPHONE, IPAD, MAC, IPOD 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, ITunes..etc...But for that company the more money the better.

Apple should patent Chinese children killing themselves. Yep that's exactly what they should do.

Apple should patent Chinese children killing themselves. Yep that's exactly what they should do.

I have a cheap Virgin media phone that uses a swipe function to unlock it. Will Apple then be filing a lawsuit against this company. If not then their whole case should be dismissed out of court.

If Apple were prepared to produce their gadgets at a reasonable cost, rather than the astronomical prices they ask for everything that carries their logo, then I am sure they would not need to resort to such shoddy measures, and leave themselves quite to open to this sort of criticism.

Apple just needs to patent the entire world.
Apparently they think they invented it.



Epic fail on their part.

A zero-point swipe.
Good grief that's just dumb.

reply to post by TheEnlightenedOne


Explanation: Uhmmm???

At one point, for example, Apple claimed that Google was infringing one of its patents on the process of unlocking a phone by swiping the screen. "Apple's argument that a tap is a zero-length swipe," said Posner, "is silly. It's like saying that a point is a zero-length line."

Dimension [wiki]

In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it (for example, the point at 5 on a number line).

Point (geometry) [wiki]

In geometry, topology, and related branches of mathematics, a spatial point is a primitive notion upon which other concepts may be defined. In geometry, points are zero-dimensional; i.e., they do not have volume, area, length, or any other higher-dimensional analogue. In branches of mathematics dealing with set theory, an element is sometimes referred to as a point.

Point Particle [wiki]

A point particle (ideal particle or point-like particle, often spelled pointlike particle) is an idealization of particles heavily used in physics. Its defining feature is that it lacks spatial extension: being zero-dimensional, it does not take up space. A point particle is an appropriate representation of any object whose size, shape, and structure is irrelevant in a given context. For example, from far enough away, an object of any shape will look and behave as a point-like object.

Personal Disclosure: Methinks the Judge needs to go back to school! Also Apple can't claim it as a zero dimensional point because its picked up via a 2d surface and locates pixels covered by the swiping finger in 2d!

Both are idiots!

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
Man, this isn't protecting intellectual property rights. This is obstruction of your competetion and interference with fair trade.

This, my dear ATS friends, is the result of absolute capitalism...

Fair trade and competition are opposites of capitalism... Capitalism is evil and is what destroyed the west.... How can you trade fairly and have competitors if you want to make the most profit out of your sucker buyer? Not possible!

Good job capitalists!

reply to post by Magnum007




Capitalism is an economic system. Honestly, it is the best economic system seen to date, as it is the only one promoting productivity, ingenuity, and growth. It is the one that has, to date, done the best job at enriching and improving the overall lives of those who use it, as well as some who don't.

The problem is not the economic system. It is the political system. Or, to be more accurate, the political systems inability to account for and overcome the more dastardly elements of human nature (see the 7 Deadly Sins for examples).

And to be honest, it all starts with the educational system (all these systems!). I live in a nation full of people stupid enough to not see a problem in the crap going on in Washington, mixed with a full dose of apathy and a severe attention span problem.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


The minute the government steps in it's not capitalism... It's not free to do what it wants and that makes it supposedly "wrong"...

What a great system free capitalism is!!!

It promotes overseas jobs to cut costs, it promotes profits for hospitals and pharmaceuticals over keeping people healthy, creates a place where the rich get richer and poor get poorer, it makes the middle class disappear, it creates dependancies on loans and other forms of creating money, creates situations where you need to go conquer other countries to get oil and other natural resources, creates a system where throwing out is easier than just repairing causing more garbage than ever, creates companies so powerful that governments are decided based on what they want and not what the people want, should I go on?

Capitalism is a cancer on this world...

Originally posted by Magnum007
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

The minute the government steps in it's not capitalism... It's not free to do what it wants and that makes it supposedly "wrong"...

What a great system free capitalism is!!!

It promotes overseas jobs to cut costs, it promotes profits for hospitals and pharmaceuticals over keeping people healthy, creates a place where the rich get richer and poor get poorer, it makes the middle class disappear, it creates dependancies on loans and other forms of creating money, creates situations where you need to go conquer other countries to get oil and other natural resources, creates a system where throwing out is easier than just repairing causing more garbage than ever, creates companies so powerful that governments are decided based on what they want and not what the people want, should I go on?

Capitalism is a cancer on this world...

What you are talking is about capitalism in a pure, unadulterated form. An economic system never exists in a vacuum. It must coexist with the governmental system.

If you dislike capitalism, I would be interested to hear an alternative.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


The alternative existed for a very long time. It existed and was very successful and prosperous until it was demonized by the zionist assholes.

Socialism promoted an in house workforce, resources, and economy. This funded fully free education, healthcare, housing, and other basic needs which in the west costs more than the average income (especially in the US)...

Everyone helped each other, they studied the subjects they wanted in university, held the jobs they wanted, and they lived healthier lives than Americans do now with their "first world healthcare"... Food was never an issue, fuel shortages either, everyone had everything they needed and didn't have to worry about anything except maybe the evil Americans and the west trying to destroy their great world

Today, in the US, you cannot study what you want unless the banker says you an afford it, you cannot hold the job you want because of this, you cannot live in a house because you can't afford it, you can't pay for the medical care you need because you are too poor. In the US, you don't work for your own pleasure, you work to get benefits, you work to pay off debt, you work for the banks and the government... you go to jail for not paying your hospital bills after losing your house to cover some of the costs... Wow... 1st world healthcare works wonders, if you can afford it!

This is my solution. Socialist systems work in many countries around the world. Remove tax deductions from big corporations and tax them at 50% or more on their profit and re-invest it in society. 200 billion in profit? well, 150 billion goes to society to pay for healthcare and other NECESSARY BASIC NEEDS!

screw capitalism, screw the US led system, screw all that... The mere fact that people wonder how the greek, spanish, italian and american economies failed proves that people are stupid. STUPID.

Originally posted by TheEnlightenedOne

US appeal court judge Richard Posner has finally said the unsayable: that Apple's and other tech firms' patent battles are a ridiculous abuse of intellectual property law

What is Apple scared of anyway?
The only way a company will go to extreme circumstances like Apple is doing now, would be if you are trying to eliminate your competition because you know you are failing big time and are starting to run on desperate mode!

For Apple to be claiming that Google can't use the "swipe" feature is just dumb if you ask me. Then again, this is coming from a company that has a patent on shapes already

Apple was suing Google (which had purchased Motorola in order to get its hands on the phone company's patent portfolio) over alleged infringement of Apple's smartphone patents.

At one point, for example, Apple claimed that Google was infringing one of its patents on the process of unlocking a phone by swiping the screen. "Apple's argument that a tap is a zero-length swipe," said Posner, "is silly. It's like saying that a point is a zero-length line."

Source

....if Apple is losing the battle of popularity then I guess that's the only shameful way to stop other companies to develop the same technology, by coming up with useless, childish, unintelligent law suits.

....a tap is a zero-length swipe

Excellent post, the swipe argument comes on the back of apple being sued by the originating inventor, a british guy who made "Gestures" and the swipe, his own intellectual property whilst working at a british museum in the late 1980's.
He made an exhibit for children in which shapes could be moved around, and using gestures, be made to do things.
He won his case against apple.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


There are Civilisations all over this universe that function without money, where their is no want, where everyone has exactly what they need, and you may say this is communism.
We use words to describe things, things not necessarily agreed on with other civilisations, i think they would call a system in which everyone has all they need, and the ability to better themselves without being a part of a slave economy, "Life as we know it".

Originally posted by The X
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

There are Civilisations all over this universe that function without money, where their is no want, where everyone has exactly what they need, and you may say this is communism.
We use words to describe things, things not necessarily agreed on with other civilisations, i think they would call a system in which everyone has all they need, and the ability to better themselves without being a part of a slave economy, "Life as we know it".

Is this a joke post? Or are you REALLY saying that there are civilizations like this away from earth?

reply to post by TheEnlightenedOne


Corporations have an unrealistic and unsustainable task that requires them to exceed the previous years profits for infinity. Hence they get creative, buy our gov't off to control the market , do ridiculous patents such as these, and send the bill to the tax payers.

Not surprising at all but expected in order to survive.

reply to post by Magnum007


"Very long time"? I recall our history much differently, full of brutalization and monarchy.