“Apple has lost a patent case against its Cover Flow and Time Machine interfaces, despite some of the infringement charges from claimant Mirror Worlds being ruled invalid,” Josh Ong reports for AppleInsider.
“Mirror Worlds LLC filed the lawsuit in 2008, alleging that Apple had infringed on patents for creating “streams” of documents sorted by time. According to Bloomberg, a federal jury sided with Mirror Worlds on Friday, although specific details of the ruling were unavailable,” Ong reports. “The judgment wasn’t completely one-sided, though. Legal news site Law360 noted (registration required) in August that some of Mirror Worlds’ claims again Apple had been ruled invalid for ‘indefiniteness.'”
Ong reports, “The lawsuit was submitted to the Tyler County court in eastern Texas, an area known for favoring patent owners. In a study by Stanford Law professor Mark Lemley, an analysis of ten years of patent lawsuits revealed that the Eastern District of Texas has a higher than average claimant win percentage and a better chance of going to trial.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Edward W.” for the heads up.]
I’m not fond of lawyers, in general, although there are likely many who are good, honest people. Unfortunately they get painted with the same brush as the rest. The same holds true for politicians. I believe that both professions tend to corrupt their practitioners for the same reasons – power and money.
East Texas is not a bastion of reason and fairness. I have been there many times. I know people who have lived there for a long time. Before you assume anything about it, please check the history of east Texas.
I’m not fond of lawyers, in general, although there are likely many who are good, honest people. Unfortunately they get painted with the same brush as the rest. The same holds true for politicians. I believe that both professions tend to corrupt their practitioners for the same reasons – power and money.
East Texas is not a bastion of reason and fairness. I have been there many times. I know people who have lived there for a long time. Before you assume anything about it, please check the history of east Texas.
Something about east Texas boy…
Something about east Texas boy…
If apple have took any decision, then i think he thought it would be much. and i trust on apple.
http://forcefactorsupplements.com
If apple have took any decision, then i think he thought it would be much. and i trust on apple.
http://forcefactorsupplements.com
“Woe to ye lawyers and scribes!” – Jesus of Nazareth
“Woe to ye lawyers and scribes!” – Jesus of Nazareth
I for one actually do like Coverflow. Does this ruling mean Apple will have to do away with it?
I for one actually do like Coverflow. Does this ruling mean Apple will have to do away with it?
@m159
What’s surreal is your time travel abilities. You spent a year in Texas one week? Maybe you should patent that.
@m159
What’s surreal is your time travel abilities. You spent a year in Texas one week? Maybe you should patent that.
And people speculate what Apple is going to do with its hoard of cash. The answer is: Legal fees for the endless stream of lawsuits against them (and the settlements and penalties thereof). Let’s see – how many of their devices in the field now have a cover-flow type of interface in them? Or a Time Machine application? Multiplied by the ‘harm’ or ‘value’ of cover flow or time machine calculated to the patent holder, and that war chest doesn’t look so large.
And how many other patents is Apple defending (or will defend in the future, now that EVERYTHING KNOWN TO MAN has been patented or hinted at vaguely in someone else’s patent?
$40 Beeeeellion dollars – not so much of a shield for the biggest target in this economy.
And people speculate what Apple is going to do with its hoard of cash. The answer is: Legal fees for the endless stream of lawsuits against them (and the settlements and penalties thereof). Let’s see – how many of their devices in the field now have a cover-flow type of interface in them? Or a Time Machine application? Multiplied by the ‘harm’ or ‘value’ of cover flow or time machine calculated to the patent holder, and that war chest doesn’t look so large.
And how many other patents is Apple defending (or will defend in the future, now that EVERYTHING KNOWN TO MAN has been patented or hinted at vaguely in someone else’s patent?
$40 Beeeeellion dollars – not so much of a shield for the biggest target in this economy.
Yes, let’s send Texas back to Mexico. That’s a good idea. Then there will be nowhere in the USA to find a job.
Texas > you
Yes, let’s send Texas back to Mexico. That’s a good idea. Then there will be nowhere in the USA to find a job.
Texas > you
If we disregard for the moment the whole “state of the patent law in US” debate, this patent-infringement loss strategically doesn’t mean much for Apple in that both cover flow, as well as the Time Machine UI are very narrowly defined, have fairly unique use and don’t represent the fundamental core of Apple’s new technologies, specifically those epitomising the iPhone.
We don’t know what parts of the claim against Apple were thrown out, but Apple has no need to be too concerned, since all these patent trolls want is some cash, and it all goes away. In other words, this is not HP, or Google, winning some key patent, requiring Apple to re-engineer their user interface around it (since big ones like HP or Google would presumably NOT want to license such patented technology to competitors).
Strategically, this doesn’t really mean much. The court in question has a proven track record, so it isn’t like Apple had not expected the possibility. Much like many other tiny little patent troll fish out there, this one will be properly paid off, all the lawyers involved will get themselves a new BMW or a boat…
If we disregard for the moment the whole “state of the patent law in US” debate, this patent-infringement loss strategically doesn’t mean much for Apple in that both cover flow, as well as the Time Machine UI are very narrowly defined, have fairly unique use and don’t represent the fundamental core of Apple’s new technologies, specifically those epitomising the iPhone.
We don’t know what parts of the claim against Apple were thrown out, but Apple has no need to be too concerned, since all these patent trolls want is some cash, and it all goes away. In other words, this is not HP, or Google, winning some key patent, requiring Apple to re-engineer their user interface around it (since big ones like HP or Google would presumably NOT want to license such patented technology to competitors).
Strategically, this doesn’t really mean much. The court in question has a proven track record, so it isn’t like Apple had not expected the possibility. Much like many other tiny little patent troll fish out there, this one will be properly paid off, all the lawyers involved will get themselves a new BMW or a boat…
And we also don’t know if this will be appealed by Apple or not…
And we also don’t know if this will be appealed by Apple or not…
There’s no doubt, Apple will drag on with the appeal, before agreeing to pay $200+ million (according to Bloomberg). After all, Apple legal department is receiving salaries to do precisely that — defend Apple in court.
There’s no doubt, Apple will drag on with the appeal, before agreeing to pay $200+ million (according to Bloomberg). After all, Apple legal department is receiving salaries to do precisely that — defend Apple in court.
I don’t have a problem with patents per se. The problem is with patents based not on a product but on a process or look/feel. This, some what, all started with Amazon, who was able to defend a patent for one-touch purchasing. This win opened the floodgates to process based patents that are based solely on an way of doing something (an idea).
BTW, Apple once upon a time did try to fight MSFT over the look and feel of Mac OS, which Windows obviously copied.
I don’t have a problem with patents per se. The problem is with patents based not on a product but on a process or look/feel. This, some what, all started with Amazon, who was able to defend a patent for one-touch purchasing. This win opened the floodgates to process based patents that are based solely on an way of doing something (an idea).
BTW, Apple once upon a time did try to fight MSFT over the look and feel of Mac OS, which Windows obviously copied.
Looking over what is provided in the source article, I have to ask:
What was actually on trial here? Patents or the US patent system? Considering the fact that the lawsuit is dickering over dead basic database technology with cute GUI elements sprinkled on top, I have the opinion that the loser is the US patent system, or rather its creative victims.
How about I patent the human elbow! I’ll make <I>$billions<I> suing Gawd!!!