Apple And Patents And stealing thereof.

[Little Asterisk 1]

I don't know what has been happening with me posting news (and news about huge companies, that is) lately, but I guess I've been following the Portals more than I usually would recently. So, here go the news (well, three days old news - but still interesting...):

 

Apple has tried to patent a travel application for the iPhone recently (and another one, but that's not important here ). They've set up the entire documentation and everything, but some information from the actual document seems to have leaked, leaving a bad image of what Apple has been trying to acheive - that is, to patent an application that already existed!

 

"Figure six" (it's actually called like that in the patent application), the disputable wireframe of Apple's submitted patent (Wireframe obviously on the right, original left).

 

Where to find out more: http://www.futuretap.com/blog/the-patent-case-we-havent-called

 

Now, there are a few holes in the actual story (like; where can we see the entire document? I haven't done much research - and am not going to - but we should look at the entire document to draw actual conclusions), but as I see it there are only two possible options available:

 

1. This is a theft, and Apple hoped no one will notice them trying to steal an application that has already been produced.

 

2. (More likely,) Apple has submitted this image just as an example of what the application might look like (i.e. of other applications that do the same assignment).

 

Now, I'm not totally into this whole "patenting" stuff nor am I a lawyer, but I don't really think that is allowed to be done. I mean, how would Apple react if I wanted to patent a mobile phone called "MyPhone?"

 

And another thing I'm not happy with is that they're actually stomping the floor here (I don't know how to express myself otherwise - maybe making a "benchmark" ) and making a monopoly in the AppStore market - taking it away from Third-Party developers. And that's actually not good neither for them nor for the developers - I mean, how can they submit applications to the iPhone market if they know Apple (who probably has ten and more times the money and developers available) might try to patent the same kind of applications?!

 

But, the sane thing to do now is to wait for an "official response" from Apple - although they probably won't actually say "Yes, we copied everything there", it'll at least enlighten the situation we're in. It IS a little suspicious the wireframe is EXACTLY the same as the actual application screenshot (even the time and carrier are the same!!).

Edited August 9, 2010 by Little Asterisk (see edit history)

[Shahrukh 0]

Oh, boy. That is one neat copied software. :PEven the background is the same.Whenever someone makes something (be it a picture, software, game, etc.), it is supposed to be automatically have copyrights with that creator only. And they continue till 15 years of the death of that creator; unless, bought by someone else. (At least, that is how I understood it).Apple is being very unfair here.

[magnafrost 0]

I very much doubt it is copied. I haven't the read the link you posted but the images are way too similar to be copied, ironically. I mean, if I were to copy your idea, I would at least make a little changes here and there. But these 2 pictures are IDENTICAL. Its obviously not a co-incidence and is definitely not plagiarism (hope its the right term).

[Little Asterisk 1]

Well, you know - it isn't very much likely that they did that intentionally, but "there remains a conflict of interest in Apple acting as the sole steward of the iOS software universe while also filing patents in areas that have long been staked out by third-party developers," which is absolutely true (from - Venomous porridge - http://venomousporridge.com/post/909651311/whereto-patent-followup ).They can do whatever they want once someone submits an application to the App store, and it isn't OK to the developers for Apple trying to patent something that already exists on the market. They have a huge advantage to the developers because they know the platform already, know the hardware and all the smallest issues with iOS 4 (and 3) AND they also have superior monetary funds, so they -- in theory, at least -- are able to make better and faster software than the average developers.Another look at things can also be found on http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ like this made a big fuss once it became clear what exactly happened with the patent application.