German Court Finds Apple's 'Slide To Unlock' Patent Invalid 120
New submitter anderzole writes "Germany's Federal Patent Court on Thursday invalidated all of Apple's claims for its slide-to-unlock patent. They death blow for Apple's slide to unlock patent was likely a Swedish phone called the Neonode N1m that launched well before the iPhone and featured its own slide to unlock implementation. The N1m was released in 2005 while Apple's own patent for slide to unlock wasn't filed until December of 2005."
Now Apple should pay 1/10th of it's value (Score:5, Interesting)
Now Apple should pay 1/10th of it's value as a penalty.
Result: no more stupid patents filled by thieves.
What I want to know is... (Score:4, Interesting)
How did this nonsense patent even get granted in the first place? I've worked on getting patents filed, and we usually meet with all sorts of resistance even when there is actually something to the patent. Who is getting paid off to grant nonsense patents like this?
Apple is just another Electronics Company (Score:4, Interesting)
I know Apple are Patent rapists, but should we care. The iPhone is still the second most popular phone range in the US but it is doing badly everywhere else. I have seen this video...I have seen this prior art mentioned...now 6 years later its invalidated...in one country, Android have already worked around this patent, and pretty nifty it is too, we even have some very fun alternative unlocking methods including fingertips and facial recognition.
Why are we not discussing the great technology from other manufacturing companies like IR being reintroduced to phones...or waterpoofing phones, or the ever growing screen size. Hell even compare two screen phones DS style to electronic paper/led screen phones. Lets discuss relevant electronics companies that innovate, in fact lets talk about that technology.
Re:It's sad (Score:5, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: It's sad (Score:4, Interesting)
"Problem is if apple didnt patent it someone else would have filed a patent years later and sued apple
Yes."
No.
Very few use patents offensively. Apple is among the few worst offenders. Furthermore, patenting this "years later" would clearly be invalid.
Apple IS the patent problem, not the victim of it.
Re:Apple faithful mod anything anti-Apple down (Score:0, Interesting)
You also still don't get it...at all. The vast majority of the press is very against Apple these days.
And you obviously don't get it, either. You give evidence to the parent's claims with this very post. Just because "the press" reports something negative about Apple, does not make them "against Apple". But you fanboys take anything negative and act like there's some hidden conspiracy to slander you pet Company, instead of admitting that the object of your Hero Worship might not be as perfect as you believe.