Apple levels its latest patent complaints at Samsung’s Galaxy S4

New motion suggests Samsung's version of Google Now is a Siri impostor.

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[Michael.phoenix]

did anyone really NOT see this coming??

anyone?

 

[kranchammer]

Oh lord.

This isn't a comment on the actual legal merits of their complaint, but they should really go to wikipedia and look up 'Pyrrhic victory'

 

[Ramie]

-edit- I forgot, Apple's sueing Samsung over looking like the iphone. Had separate suit for google with software stuff didn't it? Honestly too many freaking patent lawsuits to keep track of now days.

 

[zeit37]

i have not bought an apple product in a couple of years and doubt i will anytime soon. I love my nexus 4 and love android 4.2

 

[danstl]

Is apple really this desperate... I am not seeing a gain from doing this...

 

[lpeabody]

zeit37[/url]":3g84085a]i have not bought an apple product in a couple of years and doubt i will anytime soon. I love my nexus 4 and love android 4.2

What does that have to do with anything?

On a more serious note, I'm really tired of hearing about these patent lawsuits... Need software patent reform ASAP.

 

[JSawyer]

The lawsuit is scheduled for trial in 2014.

How does this fit with:

However, this time around Apple and Samsung are pursuing claims against the latest generation of products.

In 2014, when this trial starts, it won't be the latest generation. And the decision about substance will come much later...

 

[OfficialJab]

It's an infinite loop inside an infinite loop.
Fractal infinite loops.
Help me.

 

[Walt French]

Well, *I*, for one, welcome every little scrap of news about repeated infringements, and every 3-page filing in court.

Just look at the quality of comments: this up-to-the-instant recounting of journeyman work by lawyers brings out the best in all of us.

 

[Solomonoff's Secret]

Well, the Galaxy S4 does have rounded corners. Samsung should've known better.

 

[The Ogre]

Imagine what would happen if Apple had to first sue and win against the company making and doing the initial distribution of the supposedly-infringing software (ie, Google) before it could go after the middlemen passing it on to the end-user...

 

[TechGeek]

The Ogre[/url]":1fez3q6k]Imagine what would happen if Apple had to first sue and win against the company making and doing the initial distribution of the supposedly-infringing software (ie, Google) before it could go after the middlemen passing it on to the end-user...

There would be a sudden lack of lawsuits I suspect.

 

[Slipgatex]

Voice commands have been on Android since at least Froyo, Google Now was just the logical progression for it. It really didn't change that much in my opinion, I still use it for nearly the same commands. So tired of seeing this "Apple takes blah blah blah competitor to court" crap.

 

[solarplexus]

I *might* have been ambivalent about this whole process if Apple actually had a product that could compete with Google Now (presumably the target of the lawsuits).
It really bothers me that there is a chance they could have one of the single most useful products on the market completely gutted. AND they have nothing that compares.

 

[RankApe]

I guess manufacturers will have to start making separate crippled "American" and full-featured "Free World" models to avoid this sort of lawsuit.

 

[carlisimo]

I'm not opposed to defending patents in principle, but those patents look to me like they're either obvious and unprotectable, or that it'll be difficult to prove that Samsung (or Google) have used the same mechanisms and therefore violated the patent. But it's not my field, and I had a really hard time understanding the patent text.

 

[svzurich]

Invalidate software patents. Make Apple pay up for nuisance lawsuits.

 

[nibb]

The problem is not Apple or Samsung. Its the patent system.

Has someone read this patents?

This is so broad that it applies to everything. TV, Radio, Every Single computer or Internet services, you name it. Even Google can be sued for this patent. Apple can sue the entire computer industry and planet earth with something like this. This is just plain ridiculous, that this patents are approved.

Lets paste it here:
The present invention provides convenient access to items of information that are related to various descriptors input by a user, by means of a unitary interface which is capable of accessing information in a variety of locations, through a number of different techniques. Using a plurality of heuristic algorithms to operate upon information descriptors input by the user, the present invention locates and displays candidate items of information for selection and/or retrieval. Thus, the advantages of a search engine can be exploited, while listing only relevant object candidate items of information.

 

[mygeek911]

Really? Apple and Samsung need to get a room.

 

[nibb]

Someone on this planet needs to put a stop to this. In particular to Apple which is abusing the patent system from left to right. I really hope allot of companies come together in a partnership and sue Apple for everything and make them an example to the world.

Apple does not compete or invent. Every single thing Apple created was already invented before them, they just slightly improved it. Now instead of creating new things and innovating. They go in a legal killing spree to cripple competition. This is not how a business should run. It should embrace competition. Apple is possible the worst company the technology world ever saw come to life. They just want to stop every single advance in this field claiming they own everything.

This is a desperate move from Apple since it seems they already made their minds they cannot compete vs Android, so sue its biggest vendors. Apple does not have the balls to sue Google directly, this is the sad true.

Its sad consumers feed this monster.

 

[Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer]

What's ironic about all this is that, if this kind of patent nonsense had gone on back when this whole "personal computing" business was just getting off the ground, there's no way the iPhone would have been possible in 2007.

 

[baraujo]

man, I'm so tired of this crap, some jugde just have to tell Apple to shut the f*ck up and try to beat the competition on the markets, instead of the courts.

 

[nibb]

Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer[/url]":3uxghxh0]What's ironic about all this is that, if this kind of patent nonsense had gone on back when this whole "personal computing" business was just getting off the ground, there's no way the iPhone would have been possible in 2007.

Not only the iPhone, but nothing. Apple would not exists, tablets would not exists, not even laptops, neither search engines, or websites, or browsers (yes you can search from browsers as well....regardless of what the patent says, omnibar....)

If this patents were used in 97 we would not be even commenting here on Ars Technica.

This patents are so broad just to be ridiculous, because it can be interpreted as anything you wish or want. The context is on purpose as general as possible.

 

[Gibborim]

Sorry Google, Apple has patented searching the internet and playing media.

 

[grimlog]

 

[Zarsus]

Superman Pants[/url]":fppitpys]
Even so, failure to assert one's patent protection rights could result in the loss of said patent protections.

The thing is, these patents? They are a load of sh*ts.

 

[another ars account]

Zarsus[/url]":2zry9g59]

Superman Pants[/url]":2zry9g59]
Even so, failure to assert one's patent protection rights could result in the loss of said patent protections.

The thing is, these patents? They are a load of sh*ts.

No, the thing is, even after all this time, people can't seem to separate patent, trademark and copyright. Even here, in a supposedly tech-savy forum. Unbelievable.

 

[rmm200]

Companies abusing the patent system should have ALL of their patents invalidated. Yes Apple, I am looking at you!

 

[ws3]

another ars account[/url]":3uygcmx4]

Zarsus[/url]":3uygcmx4]

Superman Pants[/url]":3uygcmx4]
Even so, failure to assert one's patent protection rights could result in the loss of said patent protections.

The thing is, these patents? They are a load of sh*ts.

No, the thing is, even after all this time, people can't seem to separate patent, trademark and copyright. Even here, in a supposedly tech-savy forum. Unbelievable.

It's because drinking fluoridated water has lowered our IQs.

 

[redspear2]

ws3[/url]":1yjza4bi]

another ars account[/url]":1yjza4bi]

Zarsus[/url]":1yjza4bi]

Superman Pants[/url]":1yjza4bi]
Even so, failure to assert one's patent protection rights could result in the loss of said patent protections.

The thing is, these patents? They are a load of sh*ts.

No, the thing is, even after all this time, people can't seem to separate patent, trademark and copyright. Even here, in a supposedly tech-savy forum. Unbelievable.

It's because drinking fluoridated water has lowered our IQs.

While I can't comment on this article... I just have to say that was hilarious. Good one WS3!

 

[ws3]

rmm200[/url]":dmseib8i]Companies abusing the patent system should have ALL of their patents invalidated. Yes Apple, I am looking at you!

Suing over a granted patent is not abusing the patent system.
The problem is that the patents in question never should have been granted in the first place.

 

[barich]

Smartphones existed for years before the iPhone, and most of them were pretty awful. Apple waited to enter the market until advances such as capacitive touchscreens and reasonably powerful SOCs were available at a reasonable price point to allow for a significantly improved user experience. The thing is, I find it hard to believe that iPhone-like products wouldn't have shown up eventually. Apple just got theirs out first. They have a knack for entering a market at the right time, when the technology is ready for a slick product.

There's no use arguing that Google hasn't copied from iOS. But iOS was hardly the original, and Apple has done plenty of copying from Google (and Microsoft, and Palm, etc.) as well.

 

[HotelQuebec]

Disgusting. What are Apple going to claim next, that Google copied its map?

 

[SunnyD]

"Are we there yet?"

 

[knbgnu]

Superman Pants[/url]":3aeqr5qi]

kranchammer[/url]":3aeqr5qi]Oh lord.

This isn't a comment on the actual legal merits of their complaint, but they should really go to wikipedia and look up 'Pyrrhic victory'

Even so, failure to assert one's patent protection rights could result in the loss of said patent protections.

No, it couldn't. You are thinking of trademark.

ws3[/url]":3aeqr5qi]

rmm200[/url]":3aeqr5qi]Companies abusing the patent system should have ALL of their patents invalidated. Yes Apple, I am looking at you!

Suing over a granted patent is not abusing the patent system.
The problem is that the patents in question never should have been granted in the first place.

Yes it is. That the law is badly written is a problem. That Apple constantly acts like an asshole is another. You can lay blame on both.

 

[Chemical Tribe]

Apple allows Google Now into the app store - no problem whatsoever.

On a competitors' phone? Well that's too far! Sue!




Just proves this lawsuit has nothing to do with patent infringement whatsoever.

 

[VideoGameTech]

Next up, Apple sues Samsung for existing, saying their existence violates Apple patent #6,666,666.

OfficialJab[/url]":3sxnwj4k]It's an infinite loop inside an infinite loop.
Fractal infinite loops.
Help me.

Well, Apple is located on Infinite Loop Drive.

barich[/url]":3sxnwj4k]Smartphones existed for years before the iPhone, and most of them were pretty awful. Apple waited to enter the market until advances such as capacitive touchscreens and reasonably powerful SOCs were available at a reasonable price point to allow for a significantly improved user experience. The thing is, I find it hard to believe that iPhone-like products wouldn't have shown up eventually. Apple just got theirs out first. They have is a knack for entering a market at the right time, when the technology is ready for a slick product.

There's no use denying that Google hasn't copied from iOS. But iOS was hardly the original, and Apple has done plenty of copying from Google as well.

The iPhone was well-timed and slick. But they have also put out products when technology was not ready for it. Case in point: the Newton MessagePad.

 

[Shudder]

nibb[/url]"y15q9zb]

The present invention provides convenient access to items of information that are related to various descriptors input by a user, by means of a unitary interface which is capable of accessing information in a variety of locations, through a number of different techniques. Using a plurality of heuristic algorithms to operate upon information descriptors input by the user, the present invention locates and displays candidate items of information for selection and/or retrieval. Thus, the advantages of a search engine can be exploited, while listing only relevant object candidate items of information.

they basically tried to patent thinking. There goes any chance of robots