Apple Loses Bid For Emergency Ban On HTC Phone Imports 305
New submitter tukang writes "The US International Trade Commission has rejected an emergency request by Apple to detain some HTC phones (including the One X and EVO 4G) at the border while the agency investigates Apple's claims of patent infringement. In May, HTC's phone shipment was held up at the border and was only allowed to pass after U.S. Customs and Border Protection received assurances that HTC worked around Apple patents, a claim which Apple disputes."
When will it end? (Score:5, Informative)
"The patent covers a system to detect telephone numbers in e-mails so, when the number on the screen is tapped, they can be stored in directories or called without dialing."
Re:Only a little evil (Score:2, Informative)
You'd have to be in a coma to be that dumb, shillboy.
Re:sudden outbreak of common sense (Score:3, Informative)
"It's an emergency as these phones make the 4S look quite out of date."
The apple fanbois wouldn't care - they'd buy a week old turd if it had an apple logo stamped on it.
Re:Only a little evil (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, but if you buy one of Apple's pocket-sized computers you need to constantly fight with the manufacturer to install any Unapproved Software on it.
Re:Note that neither HTC nor Samsung (Score:3, Informative)
In legal matters it is quite common to separate a complex issue into parts, and argue them separately. E.g. "my client didn't break your window, but even if he did such a window costs only $X to repair, not the $Y you filed for". That is all that is going on here.
Re:Only a little evil (Score:4, Informative)
I'm not an auto fanatic, so inform me if I have missed something: Has Porsche been using software and look-and-feel patents of questionable validity and worth to take their competitors' products off the market?
Re:Only a little evil (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Only a little evil (Score:4, Informative)
Which is irrelevant if apple just goes and forcibly blocks all its competitors from even importing their own products.
Re:When will it end? (Score:4, Informative)
http://cdn.techpp.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/apple-slide-to-unlock.jpg [techpp.com]
Slide to unlock was their idea, they have a right to patent it.
No they do not "have a right to patent it."
They have the power to patent it under our current legal system, but patents were not meant for such trivial functionality. This whole "we have a right to patent intuitive design" crap needs to stop. It is not helping spur innovation when you give large companies the right to patent common sense design.
If you want to patent a design on an advanced engine, fine. You want to patent an advanced chemical compound that cures something fine go ahead. But patents should be as limited in duration as they can be and the should only be allowed for complicated subject.
Simple user interface ideas, curved corners, touch screens, and the like should not be patentable. And even if they are patented (because of stupid politics), it should be for a couple years tops.
Re:Only a little evil (Score:4, Informative)
Good grief, it hasn't been that long. The antitrust case didn't start over IE, it started because Microsoft threatened to withhold OEM pricing from any manufacturer who chose to install Netscape on new computers. This was after they had already been nailed for doing the same damned thing over Dr. DOS a few years before.
The abuse of monopoly was over OEM pricing. Because OEM copies of Windows are so significantly discounted, it was a clear case of a use of monopoly.
Re:Note that neither HTC nor Samsung (Score:4, Informative)
Because whether or not the patents are valid and being infringed by Samsung is already before the court, and not yet decided. The injunction against importation of Samsung's devices was ruled on that basis, so arguing one way or the other on that topic will not make any difference to the judge's decision.