Can Apple Patent the Pinch? Experts Say It's Possible

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell...itouch_patents

Is pinching proprietary? We may find out in the coming months as many
companies, inspired by the success of Apple's iPhone, release their
own multitouch-enabled laptops, smartphones and tablets. In doing so,
these companies -- including RIM, Nokia and Synaptics -- may run afoul
of multitouch patent applications recently filed by Apple.

"If Apple's patents are granted, the company could absolutely stop
others from using similar technology," says Raj Abhyanker, a patent
lawyer who used to write patent applications for Apple. "They'd also
be in an especially good position to stop others from including
certain features. Apple could stop [their use] not only on mobile
devices but also desktops."


Long article at the link , bottom line - no copying of the iPhone
interface which will be an Apple exclusive for mobile devices! No
Apple products for Verizon or Sprint using this new easy to use user
interface.

4phun <vic.healey@gmail.com> wrote in
news:3f236168-096e-4e28-bf50-129d8d4d82cf@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell...ultitouch_pate
> nts
>
> Is pinching proprietary? We may find out in the coming months as many
> companies, inspired by the success of Apple's iPhone, release their
> own multitouch-enabled laptops, smartphones and tablets. In doing so,
> these companies -- including RIM, Nokia and Synaptics -- may run afoul
> of multitouch patent applications recently filed by Apple.
>
> "If Apple's patents are granted, the company could absolutely stop
> others from using similar technology," says Raj Abhyanker, a patent
> lawyer who used to write patent applications for Apple. "They'd also
> be in an especially good position to stop others from including
> certain features. Apple could stop [their use] not only on mobile
> devices but also desktops."
>
>
> Long article at the link , bottom line - no copying of the iPhone
> interface which will be an Apple exclusive for mobile devices! No
> Apple products for Verizon or Sprint using this new easy to use user
> interface.
>

You mean if Apple survives the collapse of its stock price, right?....

I think a more likely scenario is some college kid suing Apple for stealing
his ideas and Apple having to pay him royalties after the nasty court case
is resolved.

I can't believe 2007 was the first time anyone used two fingers on a
touchscreen to control a computer........

It will be fun to watch....

4phun wrote:
> http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell...itouch_patents
>
> Is pinching proprietary? We may find out in the coming months as many
> companies, inspired by the success of Apple's iPhone, release their
> own multitouch-enabled laptops, smartphones and tablets. In doing so,
> these companies -- including RIM, Nokia and Synaptics -- may run afoul
> of multitouch patent applications recently filed by Apple.
>
> "If Apple's patents are granted, the company could absolutely stop
> others from using similar technology," says Raj Abhyanker, a patent
> lawyer who used to write patent applications for Apple. "They'd also
> be in an especially good position to stop others from including
> certain features. Apple could stop [their use] not only on mobile
> devices but also desktops."
>
>
> Long article at the link , bottom line - no copying of the iPhone
> interface which will be an Apple exclusive for mobile devices! No
> Apple products for Verizon or Sprint using this new easy to use user
> interface.


Doesn't Immersion (IMMR) own this IP?

4phun wrote:

> http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell...itouch_patents
>
> Is pinching proprietary? We may find out in the coming months as many
> companies, inspired by the success of Apple's iPhone, release their
> own multitouch-enabled laptops, smartphones and tablets. In doing so,
> these companies -- including RIM, Nokia and Synaptics -- may run afoul
> of multitouch patent applications recently filed by Apple.
>
> "If Apple's patents are granted, the company could absolutely stop
> others from using similar technology," says Raj Abhyanker, a patent
> lawyer who used to write patent applications for Apple. "They'd also
> be in an especially good position to stop others from including
> certain features. Apple could stop [their use] not only on mobile
> devices but also desktops."
>
>
> Long article at the link , bottom line - no copying of the iPhone
> interface which will be an Apple exclusive for mobile devices! No
> Apple products for Verizon or Sprint using this new easy to use user
> interface.


It's been around for a few decades now. Apple did not invent any new
technology here, they packaged a combination of it.


Dave

David W Studeman wrote:
> 4phun wrote:
>
>> http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell...itouch_patents
>>
>> Is pinching proprietary? We may find out in the coming months as many
>> companies, inspired by the success of Apple's iPhone, release their
>> own multitouch-enabled laptops, smartphones and tablets. In doing so,
>> these companies -- including RIM, Nokia and Synaptics -- may run afoul
>> of multitouch patent applications recently filed by Apple.
>>
>> "If Apple's patents are granted, the company could absolutely stop
>> others from using similar technology," says Raj Abhyanker, a patent
>> lawyer who used to write patent applications for Apple. "They'd also
>> be in an especially good position to stop others from including
>> certain features. Apple could stop [their use] not only on mobile
>> devices but also desktops."
>>
>>
>> Long article at the link , bottom line - no copying of the iPhone
>> interface which will be an Apple exclusive for mobile devices! No
>> Apple products for Verizon or Sprint using this new easy to use user
>> interface.
>
>
> It's been around for a few decades now. Apple did not invent any new
> technology here, they packaged a combination of it.

The real questions are a) whether a patent of the combination of those
technologies is in itself patentable, and b) if Apple was the first
company to combine them.