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The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

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Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#51

Post by SoftwareMaven »

tikhonj wrote: post #5

Maybe it was designed by lawyers, but looking at the pictures, I actually like the shape and general look of the hardware. The software doesn't look as nice, especially the app menu with garish blue background, but the beauty of Android is that I can make it look however I like. So it may have been designed by lawyers, but it isn't the worse off for it.

I completely agree. In fact, I like it much more than the previous versions that were trying way too hard to look like an iPhone. If I want to buy an iPhone, I will choose to buy one. Whether Samsung was trying to confuse customers or not (I wasn't there, so I can't say), I think they will be better off forging their own style (even if they are being forced to).

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#52

Post by ameasure »

joering2 wrote: post #33
taligent wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's because business isn't a kindergarden playground. You don't just say "no more" to your biggest customer who is prepaying billions of dollars which you can then use to invest in new technologies. The same technologies which you can use across your product lines not just smartphones.

I know all this but with Samsung having such a strong position on the market, isnt it a time to "kill" the competition? And Apple being so cocky they just help Samsung to make up their mind. I mean, yeah its not a kindergarten they dont have to provide Apple with their components. I would think Apple may want to be "nicer" to them not to get cut off from parts to build their products. Last thing they need right now,…

Apple isn't getting 50-70% profit margins on its iphones without market power.

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#53

Post by ameasure »

Patent law is nice when it ensures that innovators are compensated for their work, but Apple has clearly been compensated. Perhaps it could benefit from an addendum -- not enforceable when you're already making a ton of money off your innovation.

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#54

Post by drivebyacct2 »

moe wrote: post #9

Honestly. The hardware is fine. The problem with android is still the software and only the software. I'll take my handset in pink polka dots if it can finally scroll smoothly everywhere and not constantly annoy me with bugs in almost every single basic feature. Instead they keep on shoving out bigger screens, faster CPU's every year - and the only UX issue ever being addressed is the camera finally snapping pics in…

Someone hasn't used a recent Android phone or certainly not one with Gingerbread or ICS. I have never, ever, ever, ever experience scroll lag or a lockup on my Android phone with hundreds of apps installed running relatively unstable CM9 nightlies.

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#55

Post by drivebyacct2 »

taligent wrote: post #21
nextparadigms wrote: post #17

Being able to patent something like "the top shouldn't be equal to the bottom, and only we can do that" is ridiculous. The patent system is a mess.

That's why you can't patent something just like that. If you aren't going to actually learn and understand design patents then of course you are going to think it is ridiculous.

You seem to be rather short and dismissive of individuals' comments on patents, design patents and their context in this and the Oracle v Google case. For those of us that don't understand, an explanation would go a lot further than snark.

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#56

Post by Retric »

Tobu wrote: post #45
Xuzz wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a reasonable opinion, but it's not how that type of intellectual property works. Again, Nilay Patel (a lawyer, fwiw) at The Verge: Trade dress is the wonky red-headed step-cousin of the family that fills the gaps between the three; you might think of it as a trademark on design elements that trigger consumer recognition. [...] Apple's claim is that the iPhone's box and design scream "Apple" to consumers just a…

This kind of legal weapon is just emerging, and it's a product of circumstance — patent offices have rubberstamped hundreds of Apple's bevelled rectangles, and Apple recently found a court that would act on it and delay sales. It's a bit early to say lawyers have it all figured out, and that we should shut up and listen to them. Consequences matter, the intent and spirit of the law matter — lobbying, laws, case law,…

If by 'new' you mean 1946 then sure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanham_Act

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#57

Post by stordoff »

SoftwareMaven wrote: post #51
tikhonj wrote: post #5

Maybe it was designed by lawyers, but looking at the pictures, I actually like the shape and general look of the hardware. The software doesn't look as nice, especially the app menu with garish blue background, but the beauty of Android is that I can make it look however I like. So it may have been designed by lawyers, but it isn't the worse off for it.

I completely agree. In fact, I like it much more than the previous versions that were trying way too hard to look like an iPhone. If I want to buy an iPhone, I will choose to buy one. Whether Samsung was trying to confuse customers or not (I wasn't there, so I can't say), I think they will be better off forging their own style (even if they are being forced to).

Deliberate or not, their previous designs were basically carbon copies of the iPhone (My Galaxy Ace currently has an iPhone case on it...). The small changes made here at least make the phone different, and personally I think it looks better for it.

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#59

Post by mbreese »

ameasure wrote: post #53

Patent law is nice when it ensures that innovators are compensated for their work, but Apple has clearly been compensated. Perhaps it could benefit from an addendum -- not enforceable when you're already making a ton of money off your innovation.

Why would anyone do the work to innovate if they can't make a ton of money with patent protection? Who's to say what a "ton" of money is? How much did it the initial work cost?

Worrying about compensation isn't a good metric for patent validity.

Re: The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

#60

Post by Karunamon »

blinkingled wrote: post #42
thought_alarm wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Samsung made $10 billion over the last two quarters selling devices with outdated 2.x Android software. And last time I checked my carriers, none of their myriad of Samsung devices came with ICS. Clearly ICS and smooth scrolling is not important to the carriers or their typical customers. Consequently, ICS is not important to Samsung. It's not ignorant to say that Andriod scrolls poorly. It's just that scrolling perf…

Android scrolling wasn't bad enough for normal, non-picky users to notice. It's only techies who are used to iOS scrolling who complain about it.

Anecdote: You don't need to be a techy to notice the scrolling smoothness. This is the reason my mother now owns a 4S instead of a Droid 2.
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