Apple lodges new suit against Samsung over autocorrect, screen unlock

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014


Apple this week filed a new lawsuit in the U.S. against rival Samsung, with the latest complaint related to autocorrection of spelling, as well as unlocking a device from its touchscreen.



The latest suit, filed on Wednesday, seeks a preliminary injunction against Samsung products Apple believes are infringing upon its own patented inventions. Specific details of the case, which emanates from U.S. District Court in San Jose, were not made available for viewing online after they were entered into the court.



However, named filings listed in the court system reveal at least four different patents cited by Apple in the case. The patents are named through expert declarations filed by Apple as part of the suit. The four patents named with experts are:



U.S. Patent No. 8,074,172 - "Method, System, and Graphical User Interface for Providing Word Recommendations"



U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 - "System and Method for Performing an Action on a Structure in Computer-Generated Data"



U.S. Patent No. 8,046,721 - "Unlocking a Device by Performing Gestures on an Unlock Image"



U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604 - "Universal Interface for Retrieval of Information in a Computer System"




Named as the three defendants in the suit are Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., of Korea, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., based out of New York, and Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC., a Delaware company. The patent infringement suit has been assigned to Judge Lucy H. Koh.











Exactly what products are being targeted in Apple's latest filing is not known, as the complaint itself has not been made public. Previous patent lawsuits filed by Apple have taken aim at Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets, which Apple believes have illegally copied the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad.



Last month, Apple filed another suit in Germany against Samsung, accusing the device maker of infringing upon its patented "slide-to-unlock" invention. That's just one of many legal battles that are ongoing between the two rivals.



Lawsuits between Samsung and Apple first began last April when Apple filed the first complaint. They have since continued to grow, and now span over 10 countries across four continents.



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 57
    Oh sweet heavens, we're going to have to suffer through twenty pages of the anti-Apple guys here telling us what the definition of 'swipe' is, aren't we?
  • Reply 2 of 57
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Oh sweet heavens, we're going to have to suffer through twenty pages of the anti-Apple guys here telling us what the definition of 'swipe' is, aren't we?



    I hope not. Personally I'd rather see the the whole comments section get locked. The majority of will probably read like facts, instead really be just opinions, and have little basis in the real world anyway.



    You don't have any way to lock a thread do you?



    (Only half-kidding)
  • Reply 3 of 57
    Whoever made the auto-correct feature (and apparently patented it) must be smoking some very good stuff

    http://damnyouautocorrect.com/
  • Reply 4 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Oh sweet heavens, we're going to have to suffer through twenty pages of the anti-Apple guys here telling us what the definition of 'swipe' is, aren't we?



    no, you can happily ignore it.
  • Reply 5 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by OllieWallieWhiskers View Post


    no, you can happily ignore it.



    That would be neglecting my duties. Gotta cycle through every once in a while to find the spam, insults, and trolling.
  • Reply 6 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    That would be neglecting my duties. Gotta cycle through every once in a while to find the spam, insults, and trolling.



    Seems like those still happen.
  • Reply 7 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    You don't have any way to lock a thread do you?



    A reverse swipe surely?
  • Reply 8 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Just_Me View Post


    Seems like those still happen.



    Spam I doubt.



    If you see insult or trolling, report the posts with the Report button! Please do.
  • Reply 9 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cdale View Post


    A reverse swipe surely?



    Silly, that's a physical button on top. Surely a patent Apple had to license.
  • Reply 10 of 57
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member
    Looks like Apple has finally gotten the message that "design patents" are useless to lob against others.



    They arent so brainless after all.



    Wait let me correct that: they still are.
  • Reply 11 of 57
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Spam I doubt.



    If you see insult or trolling, report the posts with the Report button! Please do.



    Insults? Trolling? Here?
  • Reply 12 of 57
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jason98 View Post


    Whoever made the auto-correct feature (and apparently patented it) must be smoking some very good stuff

    http://damnyouautocorrect.com/



    I was just about to post the same URL. The phrase "damn you autocorrect" is now used when anything doesn't work properly in our household.



    I guess it's not a prerequisite that a technology actually work well for it to be patented.
  • Reply 13 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple this week filed a new lawsuit in the U.S. against rival Samsung, with the latest complaint related to autocorrection of spelling, as well as unlocking a device from its touchscreen. ...



    I like the fact that the lawsuits are getting much more focussed now. These are probably the four strongest cases they have for infringement and are much more concrete than the "look and feel" design lawsuits.



    I don't think Samsung (or anyone), has a chance with the swipe to unlock thing. Apple definitely invented it, and seems to have a very concise, valid patent IMO.
  • Reply 14 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    I don't think Samsung (or anyone), has a chance with the swipe to unlock thing. Apple definitely invented it, and seems to have a very concise, valid patent IMO.



    Unless, of course, "start in the middle of a circle and move to the outside of said circle by swiping with your finger" can be called something different.
  • Reply 15 of 57
    hmmhmm Posts: 3,405member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    I like the fact that the lawsuits are getting much more focussed now. These are probably the four strongest cases they have for infringement and are much more concrete than the "look and feel" design lawsuits.



    I don't think Samsung (or anyone), has a chance with the swipe to unlock thing. Apple definitely invented it, and seems to have a very concise, valid patent IMO.



    Pick a different gesture then and problem solved assuming that the patenting of gestures is determined patentable (obviously I'm not an expert on the details of patent law). This just looks like patent trolling anyway. Apple wants to limit the competition, so they look for anything that could be interpreted as infringement on one of many vague patents. They're just tying up the court systems.
  • Reply 16 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Insults? Trolling? Here?



    None of that here
  • Reply 17 of 57
    tcaseytcasey Posts: 199member
    Steve Jobs will smilng a little on this..decision.
  • Reply 18 of 57
    There is a queue 3 miles long at the local patent office.

    Methinks everyone from the dance studio is getting some moves patented so that they are the ones with the 'stock routine'.
  • Reply 19 of 57
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Go get 'em! Sue the hell out of those bastards!



    I agree with all of Apple's lawsuits and I look forward to plenty more in the future!
  • Reply 20 of 57
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    My apologise to Gatorguy and AbsoluteDesignz if I ever compared you to Galbi.
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