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Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

unwiredview.com

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Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#21

Post by Tamerlin »

coliveira wrote: post #16
timr wrote: post #7

As bad as this seems, the best thing you can do as an aspiring developer is ignore it completely , and do whatever you're going to do anyway. The only way these patents are going to matter to you is if you hit it big enough to be worth taking to court -- it's a millionaire problem. Even then, there are lots of steps between "patent granted" and "patent successfully defended in court". You're so far from that point th…

> The only way these patents are going to matter to you is if you hit it big enough to be worth taking to court -- it's a millionaire problem. Not really. Big companies can use patents to send a cease-and-desist letter to any small company. You don't need to be big company to be afraid of software patents.

Small companies can't afford to fight the big ones, so they tend to either back down or fight and go bankrupt before the case is concluded.

Apple has done this in the past -- one example is IIRC NuTech, assuming that I remember the company's name correctly. (They duplicated the mac.)

PIXAR did it also with their patent on Catmull-Clark subdivision surface algorithms.

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#22

Post by nihilocrat »

smiler wrote: post #11
smokinn wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. Because Apple never capriciously brings down the hammer on the small guy.

I'm not saying that either way - I was just pointing out the alternative. Until Apple state their intentions we won't know either way will we?

We can extrapolate their intentions based on their history of actions, just like you can with real people or any other corporation / group of people. We can't predict with 100% veracity but we can have an educated expectation.

Still, I'm more saddened by the fact that if Apple didn't do this, patent trolls probably would, so taking a stance here is a matter of picking a lesser evil.

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#23

Post by fredpeters »

tvon wrote: post #14

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

If this is an analogy to sport and say the sport is baby killing. Then I can hate the game and the player. You have a choice to get involved in the game.

If this as an analogy to drug dealing. I agree that you should not hate the players, as they have no choice.

However, I am allowed to hate the drug lord(s).

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#24

Post by Tamerlin »

smiler wrote: post #11
smokinn wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. Because Apple never capriciously brings down the hammer on the small guy.

I'm not saying that either way - I was just pointing out the alternative. Until Apple state their intentions we won't know either way will we?

You should probably start by looking at Apple's history, which suggests that the alternative isn't likely.

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#25

Post by jlgosse »

metachris wrote: post #20
Timothee wrote: post #10

One thing that surprises me in the images was that one of them is exactly "Where to?" by tap tap tap: http://taptaptap.com/#whereto

Wow, it's just blatently ripped off! Wonder what else they got "inspired" by... Direct links to the images: taptaptap: http://taptaptap.com/img/screenshot/whereto/1.jpg the patent: http://www.unwiredview.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Apple-... (upper right "mockup")

This can only mean one of two things: Either Apple is being extremely hostile and alienating one of their top developers, or they are preparing themselves for an acquisition of taptaptap in the immediate future.

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#26

Post by silvestrov »

timr wrote: post #7

As bad as this seems, the best thing you can do as an aspiring developer is ignore it completely , and do whatever you're going to do anyway. The only way these patents are going to matter to you is if you hit it big enough to be worth taking to court -- it's a millionaire problem. Even then, there are lots of steps between "patent granted" and "patent successfully defended in court". You're so far from that point th…

I think Apple has been forced to patent everything they can: Nokia sued Apple for e.g. "using positioning data in applications". If Apple did not create a huge portfolio of patents, then Apple would very vulnerable from attacks from Nokia et.al.

Patents are the business equivalent of the cold wars nuclear weapon: we have peace because if you bomb us, then we will make sure that you are completely bombed too: The thought was to keep peace by having lots of weapons and mutually behaving like no weapons existed at all. In the end, it was all just wasted money.

http://www.nokia.com/press/press-releases/showpressrelease?n...

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#27

Post by ergo98 »

timr wrote: post #7

As bad as this seems, the best thing you can do as an aspiring developer is ignore it completely , and do whatever you're going to do anyway. The only way these patents are going to matter to you is if you hit it big enough to be worth taking to court -- it's a millionaire problem. Even then, there are lots of steps between "patent granted" and "patent successfully defended in court". You're so far from that point th…

>The only way these patents are going to matter to you is

...if you want financing.

The investment community keeps a close eye on patents, because it's a major potential liability.

>Obviously, I don't know if Apple is being defensive or offensive here, but it's pretty difficult to imagine them going from retail hardware company to professional patent troll

It's easy to imagine. Microsoft went through exactly the same metamorphosis. Originally their patents were "defensive" (which is a spurious to start with -- simply documenting making an idea public is just as much of a defense), but as the growth curve started to peak they started looking at that portfolio as a way to assure their continued success, if by less productive means.

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#28

Post by lol »

char wrote: post #4
smiler wrote: post #2

The article only looks at it from the 'Apple is evil' perspective. I wonder if Apple are patenting these purely so that others can't and thereby allowing freedom for developers to develop these apps without worrying about patent infringement

I'm looking at this from the "ANYONE who tries to patent generic ideas is evil" perspective.

There's a difference between a defensive and an offensive patent portfolio.

The fact that you choose not only to ignore it, but to declare holders of them 'evil' shows that you're a child.

The fact that you got upvoted is a reminder that HN has turned into an utterly worthless shithole.

No intelligent person would write or upvote your comment. Soon the unaccomplished wantrepreneurial morons like you will drive the real users from this site.

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#29

Post by mgrouchy »

char wrote: post #4
smiler wrote: post #2

The article only looks at it from the 'Apple is evil' perspective. I wonder if Apple are patenting these purely so that others can't and thereby allowing freedom for developers to develop these apps without worrying about patent infringement

I'm looking at this from the "ANYONE who tries to patent generic ideas is evil" perspective.

I think we are getting pretty cavalier with the word evil these days, its not like apple is killing babies here. I'm not saying its right, but evil?

Re: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

#30

Post by tvon »

fredpeters wrote: post #23
tvon wrote: post #14

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

If this is an analogy to sport and say the sport is baby killing. Then I can hate the game and the player. You have a choice to get involved in the game. If this as an analogy to drug dealing. I agree that you should not hate the players, as they have no choice. However, I am allowed to hate the drug lord(s).

> If this is an analogy to sport and say the sport is baby killing. Then I can hate the game and the player. You have a choice to get involved in the game.

My point is that Apple is merely playing by the same rules as everyone else. Getting upset because Apple patents something broad or obvious is just misguided, they're quite honestly doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing as a publicly held company.

Some companies may avoid patents for ethical reasons, but ignoring the problem isn't going to solve anything.

IMO, anyway.

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