Ultrabook makers fear design patent lawsuits from Apple - report

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  • Reply 21 of 75


    That's it. I'm going back to school to become a patent lawyer. It's gotta be the biggest growth industry right now

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  • Reply 22 of 75
    h2ph2p Posts: 340member


    Months ago the Acer Aspire S3 Ultra book was on display at Costco in the Chicago area for $699.97 (13.3" i5 with 4GB Ram -- 320 HD/SSD?).


     


    It was pretty much an exact (gray) plastic copy of the MBA... Thick to thin design with recessed keyboard, etc.

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  • Reply 23 of 75


    These other companies should look at what Microsoft is doing. Windows 8 is entirely original and nobody will confuse the Surface tablet for an iPad. I may not think those Microsoft products are great but at least Microsoft is producing original ideas.

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  • Reply 24 of 75
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,953member
    Fact: HP says its not worried about Apple suing them.
    Fact: There are presently no suits against Ultrabook makers
    Fact: DigiTimes makes this claim without attribution
    Conclusion: Is this for real? Or more DigiFUD?

    Right, Digitimes == rubbish.

    I wish we had a bit of sway with the writers here to stop reporting this nonsense.
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  • Reply 25 of 75
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,953member
    tooltalk wrote: »
    Has Apple ever won any design patent lawsuit?

    They did win against iMac clones a decade ago. More recently I think they won some against Samsung's products, but most of that is still in litigation. Lawsuits are slow going.
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  • Reply 26 of 75
    starbird73starbird73 Posts: 538member


    Isn't this exactly the point of all Apple lawsuits? Or at least one of the primary ones?


     


     


     


    Quote:


    Because of Apple's alleged threats, Windows-based Ultrabook makers are expected to invest more in research and development to avoid patent infringement lawsuits



     

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  • Reply 27 of 75
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    jeffdm wrote: »
    Right, Digitimes == rubbish.
    I wish we had a bit of sway with the writers here to stop reporting this nonsense.

    If we start deleting as spam all posts that contain the word 'DigiTimes', Defensio will start automatically blocking all articles involving them.

    I was going to put the laugh after that sentence, but I'm serious. :lol:
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  • Reply 28 of 75
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    It's funny how these coincidental similarities in HW design only seem to pop up after Apple has released a new product. It's almost as if it's not coincidental at all.

    Oh Really... You mean like how Sony's Vaio X505 from 2004 had a tapered shape so striking that Apple appears to have found it suitable to 'use' on the MacBook Air?

    450
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  • Reply 29 of 75
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    daharder wrote: »
    Oh Really... You mean like how Sony's Vaio X505 from 2004 had a tapered shape so striking that Apple appears to have found it suitable to 'use' on the MacBook Air?
    450

    I'm sorry, is that keyboard REALLY at the bottom? Like… like all laptops before 1991? No, Apple did not find it suitable to use that mockery of design.
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  • Reply 30 of 75
    MacPromacpro Posts: 19,873member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    It's funny how these coincidental similarities in HW design only seem to pop up after Apple has released a new product. It's almost as if it's not coincidental at all.

    Yes isn't that really strange! Perhaps Apple should throw them a bone and allow them to copy the portable Apple IIci.
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  • Reply 31 of 75
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    I'm sorry, is that keyboard REALLY at the bottom? Like… like all laptops before 1991? No, Apple did not find it suitable to use that mockery of design.

    I quite specifically noted that it was the 'tapered shape' that the MacBook Air shares with the 2004 Sony Vaio X505, so your (strawman) attempt at making this about the location of the keyboard is completely moot.
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  • Reply 32 of 75
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jmgregory1 View Post


    I've wondered why Apple hasn't gone after the Air clones, yet.  I'm sure this is a complicated issue, given Intel was the company providing the design direction to the pc market.  If Apple created the design and Intel was not given the rights to offer it to others, then Apple should be going after both Intel and the pc makers who have created virtual knock-offs of the Air.



     


     


    It is not complicated. Intel would be complicit. Apple, however, I doubt would go after Intel.

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  • Reply 33 of 75
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,953member
    daharder wrote: »
    Oh Really... You mean like how Sony's Vaio X505 from 2004 had a tapered shape so striking that Apple appears to have found it suitable to 'use' on the MacBook Air?
    450

    You know better than that. Design is about the finer details. A tapered body isn't that, it's just a shape primitive. Take a look at HP's ultrabook and compare it vs. the Air and vs your X505. You can take detail shots of the HP and they'll look just like the same shot on an Air. That isn't true of the X505.
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  • Reply 34 of 75
    dickprinterdickprinter Posts: 1,060member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post





    I'm sorry, is that keyboard REALLY at the bottom? Like… like all laptops before 1991? No, Apple did not find it suitable to use that mockery of design.


    Nor the D cell battery sized hinge. That guy will pull ANYTHING out of his butt to slam Apple.

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  • Reply 35 of 75
    brutus009brutus009 Posts: 356member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by H2P View Post


    Months ago the Acer Aspire S3 Ultra book was on display at Costco in the Chicago area for $699.97 (13.3" i5 with 4GB Ram -- 320 HD/SSD?).


     


    It was pretty much an exact (gray) plastic copy of the MBA... Thick to thin design with recessed keyboard, etc.



     


    I saw the same thing at Staples this weekend and showed my girlfriend to see her reaction.  She just couldn't believe it and laughed at how much the same it was yet how cheap and shoddy it looked. There's simply no substitute for the original.


     


    I personally got a big kick out of the rubber foot pads.  They're nearly the same but for a different color and made into rounded squares instead of circles.  They really took everything right from the MBA and just made the minimum tweaks to make each element somehow different, if ever so slightly.

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  • Reply 36 of 75


    I agree that it's BS how similar some of these products are to the MBA, but these lawsuits are getting ridiculous. Subway can't go and start a law suit against Quiznos for selling a ham sandwich with cheddar cheese on wheat bread for the "look and feel" of the sandwich. They're the same product, they are bound to look the same!

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  • Reply 37 of 75
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    jeffdm wrote: »
    You know better than that. Design is about the finer details. A tapered body isn't that, it's just a shape primitive. Take a look at HP's ultrabook and compare it vs. the Air and vs your X505. You can take detail shots of the HP and they'll look just like the same shot on an Air. That isn't true of the X505.

    As the owner of both a MacBook Air 11.6 and an HP Folio 13, I can find not a single design similarity between it and the MacBook Air other than they both happen to be slim form-factor laptops.

    450

    Anyway... Things like the general shape of a device should never be allowed patents in the first place.
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  • Reply 38 of 75
    stevehsteveh Posts: 480member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post





    I quite specifically noted that it was the 'tapered shape' that the MacBook Air shares with the 2004 Sony Vaio X505, so your (strawman) attempt at making this about the location of the keyboard is completely moot.


    Good thing you did, too, since most other design elements fail to support your argument.


     


    Again.

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  • Reply 39 of 75
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post





    They did win against iMac clones a decade ago. More recently I think they won some against Samsung's products, but most of that is still in litigation. Lawsuits are slow going.




    Yes, it has won. Here is another. Based on this precedent I thought Apple would get injunctions against Samsung for sure. 

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  • Reply 40 of 75
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wcbaritone10 View Post


    I agree that it's BS how similar some of these products are to the MBA, but these lawsuits are getting ridiculous. Subway can't go and start a law suit against Quiznos for selling a ham sandwich with cheddar cheese on wheat bread for the "look and feel" of the sandwich. They're the same product, they are bound to look the same!



     


     


    Yes, but the difference is food is not protected as IP.

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