Apple Patents All Unlock Gestures.

[Jayyy]

You read that right. Apple has somehow managed to patent any and all unlock gestures. This includes the famous android lock and will probably include the new gingerbread OS LS too. Are the people in the patent office insane?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5853398/apple-now-owns-the-unlock-slide-gesture

 

[TD5160]

Nice. Steve Jobs croaks and Apple instantly goes insane... Gotta make 'em go the way of old yeller now...

 

[AvsJoe]

They might as well try and patent all smartphones while they're at it.

Fast Forward to November 3, 2011:

Apple Patents All Smartphones.

 

[Dimitriov]

Can we hang all the Apple upper management now? Please?

 

[Braedan]

Wait, is this possible? We already have a huge number of products that use unlock gestures, couldn't this just be reversed in court in a number of minutes?

And how do you patent a finger movement? Isn't there laws to protect us from... our laws?

 

[Aurgelmir]

Isn't there any patent law that prohibit you from patenting something already on the market and wildly used by everyone?

If there isn't there sure should be. Patent laws are such a drag, and a way to keep lawyers in jobs...

 

[spartxn]

I hate Apple. They seriously need to get over themselves. They r not Gods gift to technology no matter how much they might think they are.

 

[Broken Blade]

How? How? HOW? HOOOOOOOW?!?!

That is honestly my reaction, sans screaming. Just? this is frelling ridiculous, this needs to get thrown out as far too broad, and if it doesn't I officially give up on the patent system. This? just? my brain can't HANDLE this level of stupidity. How the frak could the patent office allow something that broad? OH wait, these are the same morons who let someone patent throwing STICKS!

 

[Jayyy]

Can we hang all the Apple upper management now? Please?

We should -.- I mean Jesus Christ. There has to be some limit to their God complex.

 

[tharglet]

Uh, for those saying it was AFTER Job's death... that's when it was *granted* not when it was *filed*. Takes a looong time for a filed patent to either be granted or rejected.
The filing date is June 2, 2009... so yer... this was during Jobs's "reign".
There's a related patent that was filed in 2005 and granted in 2010 too.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

Screw off already, Apple. Good, god...

Get off your pedestal already. That, and the patent office needs to be slapped for even considering this, let alone allowing it.

 

[DarkSoldier84]

Isn't there any patent law that prohibit you from patenting something already on the market and wildly used by everyone?

Yes there is. It's called "prior art." If you can prove that a patented procedure was already widely used before the patent, the patent can be nullified.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation knows how to bust unethical patents in electronic media. I hope this comes to their attention.

 

[bakan]

How did this patent pass?

I mean it's a widely used feature, does everyone now have to pay fees to Apple if they integrate it in their OS, because I don't think they will just remove it.

 

[steeple]

Oh no! Soon Apple will patent fapping to weird fetish porn! I will be screwed :*(

and then, how long will it be until they patent rick-rolling and the troll face?

the internet is in danger, and only YOU can help preserving it!

 

[Red Scharlach]

Well, what else are they going to patent? They already patented rounded corners and they haven't developed any hardware for decades. Apple is more of a design studio and software developer than anything else.

I'd say an unlocking gesture for a touch screen isn't innovative enough to warrant a patent to begin with but then that aspect of patent law was forgotten half a century ago.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I have a dream that one day I will wake up and people everywhere will become so smart to ignore Apple products completely.