Apple just got a huge win that will result in continued problems for Samsung and Google. The “Steve Jobs patent” (U.S. Patent No. 7,479,949) was reaffirmed by the U.S Patent & Trade Office (USPTO). The patent has been referred to as the “Steve Jobs patent” because Jobs was named as one of the inventors when Apple applied for it in 2008. It deals with a “touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics.”
It was originally challenged by presumably Samsung and Google, but this reexamination result came down last month reaffirming all 20 claims of the patent. According to Florian Miller of Foss Patents, this is a “major strategic win” for Apple and a “massive setback for Samsung and Google”, as well as a threat to other Android device makers. Samsung must now work around this patent to avoid the U.S. import ban that was ordered in August. Apple is also going after Motorola for this same patent.
source: Foss Patents
via: VR-Zone
It is amazing how corrupt the US Patent system is. They uphold patents so generic that should never have been approved in the first place. An international infringement by Apple against Samsung if overturned by the President. But we will turn the screws on a Korean company. Shameful.
apple have to sue Nokia/Microsoft also ? apple will be in bankrupt very
very soon if they keep playing like this, they want to be the only company able to sell that crappy phone with a crap OS, google/motorola, sony, windows/nokia, htc, just join your patents and sue apple in every country of the world soy they can only sell their computers, apple never created the touch device patent was microsoft and no one cared
It seems like the time has come to re-examine FRAND usage rights as applied to interfaces of devices. Since virtually all new devices these days are touch controlled, then the touch interface should be considered as important as the cellular protocols that fall under FRAND guidelines. Under those laws Samsung, Motorola and others have had communications patents made FRAND meaning that they cannot prevent competing manufacturers from being granted licences to use those patents. With the commonality of touch interfaces it’s only fair to move touch interface patents under FRAND control. Apple has benefited from use of FRAND communications patents. Now the shoes on the other foot. It’s time to force Apple to license their patents.
I wonder if the release of Android 4.4 has been held back pending results of this decision. If Google has a workaround ready to push out fast it would make sense to wait on 4.4 and include it in that.