Apple awarded patent on electronic rectangular products with rounded edges

[bash]

There's been a lot of talk over the last couple of years — especially by Samsung during the course of its recent patent infringement trial — that Apple has obtained design patent coverage on rectangular devices with rounded corners. While that may not have been true before, it is now. The US Patent and Trademark Office issued patent no. D670,286 to Apple yesterday and it really does cover the outer edge shape of a device. There's no other way to look at it.
As we've explained before, the scope of a design patent is defined by the drawings, and the solid lines are what counts —the dashed lines are just there for context. As you can see below, the 'D286 patent has a lot of gratuitous context but just a single solid line defining what is being protected.


Previous design patents on the iPad and iPhone have included at least one additional feature in solid lines — like the home button, the back surface contour, the bezel shape,the side profile, or the edge-to-edge screen. This one ignores all of that and simply focuses on the shape of that peripheral edge. It's a broad patent. Really broad. Granted, an argument can be made that the horizontal and vertical lengths of the solid edge line in the drawings limits the patent coverage to a specific proportional design that excludes tablets with different aspect ratios, but you wouldn't want that to be your primary defense.
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A PATENT TO BE TOO BROAD TO ACTUALLY USE
Will Apple ever use this patent against its competitors? Maybe, but there's an inherent downside to asserting a patent like this: it's vulnerable to invalidity arguments. The narrower a patent is the harder it is to find prior art devices or publications that have everything you need to knock it out. Conversely, the broader the patent the easier it is to come up with something that a judge or jury (or even the patent office) can use to invalidate it. Even though Apple submitted hundreds of prior art documents while this patent was being reviewed by the USPTO, it sure feels like a weapon too fragile for battle. It could very well just be a let's-see-what-we-can-get patent with no real offensive future. We'll see.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/7/36...ounded-corners

This is a fucking disgrace.

Edit:

[Ghost-Rhayne]

Apple is such a joke. Pathetic bunch of cocksuckers.

[Blacksite]

Apple continues to create reasons for me to further dislike them.

[claud3]

Apple and oranges and i prefer oranges.


They are the bad Apple in the bunch.... to big to fail and to big to care, that's their saying

[*goo]

Just another facet of their arrogance. Currently got an iPad and iPhone 4S. On Tuesday, I'm buying the new Nexus 4 and moving away from Apple. Will think about the Nexus 10 or other competitor tablet in due course.

I just don't like how they're operating nowadays with these ludicrous patents and obscene amounts of litigation.

[Cybertox]

So that means that other companies like samsung cant create rectangular products with rounded edges? If so this is pathetic and just patents shouldnt even be given away to somebody, especially to somebody like Apple.

[F34R]

Apple isn't to blame here. The agency that granted the patent is the "crook". Nothing wrong with companies patenting things, designing, etc. I mean, they do it for profit, ya know... companies wanna make money at times.

[claud3]

But both are to blame. Apple for their eating up of the market and the other for doing what they doing

Making it harder for others

[podsaurus]

Best thing you can do if you don't like a company is not buy their products. Ultimate way to stand up to them, deny them your money.

[Bigdoggy]

as much as that article wants you to believe it, it's to vague of a patent to actually stick. All this is, is a "can we get away with this when we bring someone to court". This wont stick and when it goes to court apple will be a laughing stock. they kind of already are but even more so then.

seems to me that the panzies at Apple are still sour over their failed samsung lawsuit. lolz

[DeviousOne]

Like everyone that posted before me. This is just sad and pathetic!!! I've never owned and would never in the future own an Apple product

[weskurtz81]

as much as that article wants you to believe it, it's to vague of a patent to actually stick. All this is, is a "can we get away with this when we bring someone to court". This wont stick and when it goes to court apple will be a laughing stock. they kind of already are but even more so then.

seems to me that the panzies at Apple are still sour over their failed samsung lawsuit. lolz

Your are right that it probably wouldn't stick, and it's probably no big deal for Samsung to put the lawyers to work, but what about when Apple uses one of these broad patents on an unsuspecting little guy? They just drives them right out of business!

[Dave-The-Rave]

Apple should've fallen long ago, the sad thing is a lot of their followers are mindless drones ready to give up their money for anything. I mean iPad mini..seriously, the stupidest thing ever yet people still lapped it up.

Apple could make a product called iRape or iKill and it would still sell millions.

[podsaurus]

Apple should've fallen long ago, the sad thing is a lot of their followers are mindless drones ready to give up their money for anything. I mean iPad mini..seriously, the stupidest thing ever yet people still lapped it up.

Apple could make a product called iRape or iKill your wallet and it would still sell millions.

Fixed.

[keefy]

Apple should've fallen long ago, the sad thing is a lot of their followers are mindless drones ready to give up their money for anything. I mean iPad mini..seriously, the stupidest thing ever yet people still lapped it up.

Apple could make a product called iRape or iKill and it would still sell millions.

They think its unfair that a newer ipad came out only a few months after the previous as if they have to buy it by law.

[Fenix]

Erm does this mean the Samsung Galaxy phones will need to change?

Always wanted one, and plan to get one next year when I got the money. Would hate to see the next iterations go all ugly. :/

[F34R]

Apple should've fallen long ago, the sad thing is a lot of their followers are mindless drones ready to give up their money for anything. I mean iPad mini..seriously, the stupidest thing ever yet people still lapped it up.

Apple could make a product called iRape or iKill and it would still sell millions.

Your comment isn't any better than the assumption you made. If YOU don't like it, then don't buy it. Generalizing people that would actually use it isn't excusable. Ya know.. like Samsung has the 10.1" tablet, and the 7" one. How about Asus Transformer Prime, and the Nexus 7, made by Asus? How about Sony making a 10" tablet, and the smaller version with two screens... cmon.

They think its unfair that a newer ipad came out only a few months after the previous as if they have to buy it by law.

OR, that they bought an inferior device, hardware wise, only a few months ago.... just like a lot of people have been pissed at Google for releasing a new Nexus 7 with double storage, for the same price, just a few months after releasing the "launch" device. The 16GB gets dropped in price. It pisses people off when this happens.

[DeviousOne]

They think its unfair that a newer ipad came out only a few months after the previous as if they have to buy it by law.

Reminds me of Sega in the mid 90's lol

[claud3]

This is what they are now... Just like all corp's in america, they hate competition

[BoyBettaKnow]

Apple should've fallen long ago, the sad thing is a lot of their followers are mindless drones ready to give up their money for anything. I mean iPad mini..seriously, the stupidest thing ever yet people still lapped it up.

Apple could make a product called iRape or iKill and it would still sell millions.

The iPad mini is actually quite a nice device. I have an iPad 3 and i would still buy an iPad Mini once they decided to release one with a retina display. Why? Because it is much nicer to hold as it is incredibly light compared to the standard iPad.

The sad thing is millions of people are quite upset about the success Apple are having as of late and result to stupid remarks. Ironically i find it funny that the mindless drones tend to be the ones who jump on the Apple hate wagon spewing their opinions.

As F34R already pointed out, I do hope you have an issue with the Nexus 7 once the Nexus 10 is released.

They think its unfair that a newer ipad came out only a few months after the previous as if they have to buy it by law.

The audacity of a company releasing new products. How DARE they!

I understand where Apple are coming from. While it is a very petty patent it's understandable, they want to protect their IP and so they should. Lets be honest, Samsung have taken a lot of inspiration from Apple...

[DreDayDetox]

My LaCie 2TB HD also has rounded edges and it's silver, will I be sued too?

[BoyBettaKnow]

You bet your sweet ass you will be. No one is safe. I'm sure if Apple could find a way to sue people for using a charging plug they would.

[claud3]

they are suing for their logo and not the patent... It seems everything is apple connected in their minds

[BoyBettaKnow]

What do you mean? Other brands are using the Apple logo? Ironic that the beetles once sued Apple for using the Apple as a logo (iirc)

As embarrassing as their suing behaviour is it doesn't bother me. I like their products and their suing doesn't affect me so they can go about galavanting around the world suing whoever they wish to sue.

[claud3]

ok enjoy their products....

I do not care what happens to the company, since i will never buy any product from them

because you are paying for the logo alone and the tech inside is just a bonus