# Apple’s New iPad Patent Reveals The Absurdity Of Our Patent System



## Sasqui (Nov 9, 2012)

This makes me ill.



> Earlier this week, Apple got a bunch of new patents approved, including one covering the "design" of the original iPad.
> 
> What does this "design" patent cover?
> 
> ...



Source:  http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/dail...bsurdity-patent-system-143108743.html#more-id


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## Frick (Nov 9, 2012)

Any links to the actual patent?


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## Fourstaff (Nov 9, 2012)

Blame the silly laws not the one who abuses them.


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## de.das.dude (Nov 9, 2012)

has anyone patented a pen1s? then i can patent my pen1s?

then everyone boy born will have to pay me money. i will be rich.

*troll logic*


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## Sasqui (Nov 9, 2012)

Frick said:


> Any links to the actual patent?



I couldn't locate it here:  http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...IELD1=&co1=AND&TERM2=rectangle&FIELD2=&d=PTXT

Will dig some more.


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## temp02 (Nov 9, 2012)

Frick said:


> Any links to the actual patent?



US Patent D670,286


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## Sasqui (Nov 9, 2012)

temp02 said:


> US Patent D670,286



Yea, just found it here:  http://www.google.com/patents/USD67...NGqIIHo0QGsz4HQDQ&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA

I'm going to patent my office desk... be back in 5 minutes


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## Frick (Nov 9, 2012)

temp02 said:


> US Patent D670,286



....

I actually laughed.


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## AphexDreamer (Nov 9, 2012)

Next apple patents the line and curve.


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## Drone (Nov 9, 2012)

I'm not even gonna read all that shit to know that patent system is fucked lol


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## MxPhenom 216 (Nov 9, 2012)

Patenting Shapes..................seems legit 

I guess we will see Triangular hand devices now??


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## Frick (Nov 9, 2012)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Patenting Shapes..................seems legit
> 
> I guess we will see Triangular hand devices now??



Go ahead and patent it.

And that document is small. Scroll to the images on the bottom.


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## Binge (Nov 9, 2012)

Can we sue Apple for monopolizing shapes?

My small business is unable to profit from rectangles with rounded edges in a world that demands rectangles with rounded edges.  I demand restitution.


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## Fourstaff (Nov 9, 2012)

Binge said:


> Can we sue Apple for monopolizing shapes?



EU will do that for you. In a few years time Apple will have to sell rectangles with the option of either rounded corners or squared corners, not just rounded ones. Also, Apple will be banned from selling squares, but they will be able to appeal that decision.


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## patrico (Nov 9, 2012)

de.das.dude said:


> has anyone patented a pen1s? then i can patent my pen1s?
> 
> then everyone boy born will have to pay me money. i will be rich.
> 
> *troll logic*



lol funny

what a crock of crap though, they'll try and patent the colour white next


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## Red_Machine (Nov 9, 2012)

It's called "iPod Signature White" for a reason, y'know...


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## Sasqui (Nov 9, 2012)

Binge said:


> Can we sue Apple for monopolizing shapes?
> 
> My small business is unable to profit from rectangles with rounded edges in a world that demands rectangles with rounded edges.  I demand restitution.



I like your thinking there...


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## KainXS (Nov 9, 2012)

de.das.dude said:


> has anyone patented a pen1s? then i can patent my pen1s?
> 
> then everyone boy born will have to pay me money. i will be rich.
> 
> *troll logic*



actually I wouldn't patent the penis itself I would patent poles that extend and use that to sue every man on earth and some extra people


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## Inceptor (Nov 9, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> This makes me ill.
> 
> 
> 
> Source:  http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/dail...bsurdity-patent-system-143108743.html#more-id



It costs less time and money for them to just approve a patent like this and have it fought out in the law courts, than it does to actually do the analytical work necessary in the patent office...
But then again, some patents are so absurd that they must, at least sometimes, just blindly approve some.


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## micropage7 (Nov 9, 2012)

they should not approve it coz the shape is generic, i mean rectangle with rounded corners has been used for long time not only in electronic stuff so it shouldnt be patented


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## DannibusX (Nov 9, 2012)

Design patents are nothing new.  Nearly every company in the world uses or should use them, since they are supposed to keep people from knocking off products.  Normally it's a good thing.

The Xbox, PlayStation, etc all have design patents issued.

The unique and disturbing thing about the iPad design patent is the generic shape.  It just doesn't fit into the scope of what a patent is designed for.  It's far too generic.


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## Binge (Nov 9, 2012)

micropage7 said:


> they should not approve it coz the shape is generic, i mean rectangle with rounded corners has been used for long time not only in electronic stuff so it shouldnt be patented



People, regular people, should sue.  If there's a lawsuit that starts up or wants to start up I'm on board.  This is a concept to work against the interests of free enterprise and consumers.


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## Drone (Dec 20, 2012)

Apple "pinch-to-zoom" patent deemed invalid


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## DannibusX (Dec 20, 2012)

That'll get Judge Koh to lower some of the damages against Samsung.  Just a few more patents are needed to be sniped.


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## the54thvoid (Dec 20, 2012)

The USPTO really needs to get a grip.  It's their lax patents that lead to all the legal shite.  Pretty sure these wouldn't be passed in the UK.  Wow, I didn't even bitch about Apple there!


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## Super XP (Dec 20, 2012)

You should not be able to patent things like this. Utterly rediculous and once again from Apple.
When business is in the negative they'll start attacking companies with its patents.


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## NastyHabits (Dec 27, 2012)

temp02 said:


> US Patent D670,286



Unbelievable. No wonder people are losing faith in our government.


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## Kantastic (Dec 27, 2012)

Super XP said:


> You should not be able to patent things like this. Utterly rediculous and once again from Apple.
> When business is in the negative they'll start attacking companies with its patents.



How exactly is this Apple's fault?


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## RejZoR (Dec 29, 2012)

Mega idiotiq. Tablets existed long before Apple "invented" their iPad. And they all had rectangular shape with round edges. Fail.


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## Kantastic (Dec 30, 2012)

RejZoR said:


> Mega idiotiq. Tablets existed long before Apple "invented" their iPad. And they all had rectangular shape with round edges. Fail.



Care to elaborate on the quotation marks? Because last I checked, iPad did invent the iPad, and without the iPad, the tablet industry, in its current state, wouldn't exist right now.


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## hat (Dec 30, 2012)

So it's okay for Apple to patent rectangular objects with rounded corners?


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## TRWOV (Dec 30, 2012)

A design patent covers an specific design, in this case the iPad's layout. The only issue Samsung et al will be facing is if they come with a tablet that looks exactly like the patented design (same I/O distribution, same shape and button location, etc., i.e. a knockoff). 

This is to protect Apple from knock-offs not to prevent other tablet manufacturer's to come out with tablets with rounded edges.


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## the54thvoid (Dec 30, 2012)

Kantastic said:


> ...without the iPad, the tablet industry, in its current state, wouldn't exist right now.



Kind of sweeping.  Tablets were still in the air so it's very hard to say where we'd be now.  Who's to say that people wouldn't focus on productivity tablets sooner (Surface Pro) instead of following the ipad's idea of an overly large, glorified portable web browser.

The ipad does what it's meant to do well but like most tablets (Nexus 7, Galaxy Tab etc) they are all still glorified "toys".  At least Microsoft is looking to change that with essentially a PC in a tablet format.

It's ironic that Apple did a sales campaign in the UK years ago where they likened using PC's to being boring things for tech use and work and spreadsheets etc and the Apple product was fun, fun , fun.  This is the ethos for the tablet.  An easy to use fun thing.  Not a serious piece of tech kit for furthering research and boosting productivity.

I say that Apple led the tablet format down the wrong path. The Surface Pro is the new way to go.


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## Kantastic (Dec 30, 2012)

hat said:


> So it's okay for Apple to patent rectangular objects with rounded corners?



Is it legal?



the54thvoid said:


> I say that Apple led the tablet format down the wrong path. The Surface Pro is the new way to go.



That was more of a hardware and fabrication limitation.


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## mediasorcerer (Dec 30, 2012)

I heard about this, surely microsoft got in on this during the early tablet era of the nineties? What about all of the slates and digitizers etc?


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## TRWOV (Dec 30, 2012)

mediasorcerer said:


> I heard about this, surely microsoft got in on this during the early tablet era of the nineties? What about all of the slates and digitizers etc?



The Slate doesn't have the same layout as the iPad. The buttons, orientation and I/O cluster is different:







Again, this patent covers Apple's specific iPad design, not all tablets with rounded borders. This is to protect Apple from knock-offs not competitors. I'm sure there're Slate, Nexus, Surface, etc., etc. design patents as well.


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## Crap Daddy (Dec 30, 2012)

the54thvoid said:


> Kind of sweeping.  Tablets were still in the air so it's very hard to say where we'd be now.  Who's to say that people wouldn't focus on productivity tablets sooner (Surface Pro) instead of following the ipad's idea of an overly large, glorified portable web browser.
> 
> The ipad does what it's meant to do well but like most tablets (Nexus 7, Galaxy Tab etc) they are all still glorified "toys".  At least Microsoft is looking to change that with essentially a PC in a tablet format.
> 
> ...



I'm glad that somebody says what I'm thinking. But I'm also sad that Microsoft is not pushing the Surface as it should. It amazes me that they are not selling it outside their few shops, that it's basically unaivalable and that it's priced way too high.


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## the54thvoid (Dec 30, 2012)

Crap Daddy said:


> I'm glad that somebody says what I'm thinking. But I'm also sad that Microsoft is not pushing the Surface as it should. It amazes me that they are not selling it outside their few shops, that it's basically unaivalable and that it's priced way too high.



That's Microsoft for you, great tech but hugely arrogant with it.


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## hat (Dec 31, 2012)

Kantastic said:


> Is it legal?



So you're allowing the government to define your own personal morality, your own personal sense of right and wrong?


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## micropage7 (Dec 31, 2012)

TRWOV said:


> The Slate doesn't have the same layout as the iPad. The buttons, orientation and I/O cluster is different:
> 
> http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9516/hpslate1.jpg
> 
> Again, this patent covers Apple's specific iPad design, not all tablets with rounded borders. This is to protect Apple from knock-offs not competitors. I'm sure there're Slate, Nexus, Surface, etc., etc. design patents as well.





wait wait, look at from side. its like iphone 
so Apple still has chance to bring it to the court
this patent should not pass


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## A Cheese Danish (Dec 31, 2012)

Comic relief:


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