“The iPhone of Apple Computer is allegedly a clone of a handset made by the Seoul-based LG Electronics, the world’s fifth-largest cell phone manufacturer,” Kim Tae-gyu reports for The Korea Times.
“…If LG sues Apple over patent infingement, it would be the second lawsuit against the iPhone after its long awaited release,” Tae-gyu reports. “As soon as Apple boss Steve Jobs revealed the iPhone last week, U.S. network company Cisco Systems filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming trademark rights on the iPhone [name].”
Tae-gyu reports, “LG Electronics also thinks the two gadgets are almost identical but the company seems undecided as to whether or not to cry foul against Apple through court action. ‘At first glance, we recognized the iPhone shares many form factors with the Prada phone. We are flattered that other makers follow our design policy,’ LG spokesman Lee Hyoung-kun said. ‘We can’t say at the moment whether or not we will file a lawsuit against Apple regarding this. It’s too early to make remarks on the issues,’ Lee said.”
“Experts predict that if the two phones share functionalities on top of looks, LG might file a complaint,” Tae-gyu reports. “LG has yet to reveal specifications of the Prada phone, which the firm looks to market soon. Yet, its exterior was shown to the public when it won the International Forum Design Product Design Award for 2007.”
Full article here.
LG spokesman Lee Hyoung-kun is correct that it’s too early to make remarks on the issues. One big question is how does the LG’s user interface work? Is the LG multi-touch or just “uni-touch?” An even bigger question would be who actually holds the patents that relate to each phone?
Apple’s iPhone user interface “is the result of years of research and development” and “boy, have we patented it.” – Apple CEO Steve Jobs, January 09, 2007
The Prada is a re-branded LG KE850 phone. A demo of the phone via YouTube (in French):
Apple Inc’s Phil Schiller shows CBS News’ John Blackstone some of the many features of the iPhone:
“‘We are flattered that other makers follow our design policy,’ LG spokesman Lee Hyoung-kun said.”
What an arrogant Korean prick.
after watching the demo, i think there is some slight aesthetic similarities but not enough for a lawsuit
I don’t get it.
“It look’s the same”
What, the fact that it has large numbers that you can press on the screen? Puhl-eease.
Anyway, you can’t sue for look-and-feel, every Mac-user knows this, for god’s sake we tried and failed with Microsoft.
Yet, its exterior was shown to the public when it won the International Forum Design Product Design Award for 2007.”
Reading the PDF file of the Internation Forum Design Product Design Award for 2007 flyer on their website we find a interesting little tidbit… one of the financial backers of the PRIZE MONEY for the award are Dyson (2002-2006) and LG (2004-2006)!
Do you think LG receiving an award and their sponsorship is somehow linked? Nah… NOT!
“”‘We are flattered that other makers follow our design policy,’ LG spokesman Lee Hyoung-kun said.”
What an arrogant Korean prick.”
Yet if the names were Apple instead of LG and Anyone instead of Apple, you’d all say that the other company were a bunch of pricks and shamelessly copying Apple.
Face it, Apple’s rarely first with any idea, they usually rip off somebody else’s idea, tweak it a bit and serve it up to the rabid mac faithful who have such a limited perspective on technology that they truly believe Apple invented whatever bill of goods they’re being sold.
Guys:
I think many of you are missing the point. It doesn’t matter if Apple “COPIED” LG. What matters is whether LG owns a patent that it believes the iPhone is infringing upon. Say, for example, that LG owns a patent on the use of a touchscreen as a numeric keypad. They could then sue Apple regardless of whether the iPhone’s touchscreen kaypad is a direct ripoff of the Prada phone. I think that’s what LG is talking about.
The problem is that the patent game has gone crazy. LG patents using a touchscreen as a keyPAD and Apple patents using a touchscreen as a keyBOARD, and they battle it out in the courts.
I say reform the patent system, but I bet there’s a lot of patent laywers who would fight hard to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Apple had the iPhone in development over 2 1/2 years ago and has patented the bejesus (over 500) out of it.
Owning a patent is like having the DNA evidence to exonerate.
The only thing similar with these two phones is they are both rectangular and have a touch screen. Unless LG has patented the rectangle and the human index finger, they have no case.
The iPhone makes the Prada look severely outdated and that is why LG is making these comments out of absolute frustration.
“Apple had the iPhone in development over 2 1/2 years ago and has patented the bejesus (over 500) out of it. “
The patents won’t issue if LG and others can show prior art. Apple copied the idea for the iPhone from phones running Microsoft’s Pocket PC/ Windows Mobile OS, some of which are large rectangular touchscreen only phones which have been around for more than 2 1/2 years, so showing prior art for any of the key patents should be pretty easy.
It should be noted that just about everyone who introduced a touchsceeen only phone evenytually added a physical keyboard to it as the touchsceen only interface is great for a PDA, but sucks for a cellphone. So too will likely be the case with the iPhone.
The interface is not even close to the same….somebody better lay down the glass pipe. The guy keeps touching the bezel to do anything.
Didn’t I see this bezel touching interface in patents by Apple?
http://hrmpf.com/wordpress/90/apple-describes-new-interface-for-ipod
http://www.macnn.com/blogs/?p=136
Anyone on either side who thinks either company can sue over the overall design of the phone is ignorant to phone history. Anyone remember the IBM Simon…
http://cdecas.free.fr/computers/pocket/simon.php
if apple had copied LG KE850 they would have included the 3g internet capabilities that the LG KE850 is rumored to have. the LG KE850 looks just like the chocolate and my self personally think prada did a horrible job with the design. Even when the LG KE850 when it does come out it is not coming to the US so the best compition the iphone has is Samsung’s Ultra Smart F700 although it doesnt inculde touch screen keyboard it will be the best competitor for the iphone in the us
I hope LG wins the case!!! every single one of my friends who has an iphone…their only comment was “very disappointed!”
which one more expensive?
Well the good thing about america is if lg wants to file a law suit they can and if apple wants to file a lawsuit because they started working on it before lg then they can but just let the two companys works this out they dont need our comments it isnt worth the fighting and gettin all upset over it !
It is time for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to fix his mistake and give back to our inventory integrity, said the ONA President Doris Grinspun Saturday.