Comments on: Apple starts patenting mobile app ideas

By: Definesober

Definesober — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:24:59 +0000

Look up an App called Tasker for the Droid. I use it all the time and it does almost exactly that. I have it programmed to shut my phone to vibrate when I reach work, when I leave work and head to the bar, once I get in the bar it sends a text to my wife that I'm at the bar. It is also set up so when I have meetings at work, it automatically goes into silent mode. It's a really damn cool program and Apple is behind the curve once again.

By: spinkid

spinkid — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:02:15 +0000

The top right screen is actually the WhereTo app (http://www.futuretap.com/home/whereto-en/) which exists for years now. They didn't even bother to change the name in the header. It's pretty scary for sure.

By: Druru

Druru — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:39:11 +0000

To be fair, Apple has never acted like a patent troll. To my knowledge, they have never initiated a patent-related legal battle but merely counter-sued those who sue them for patent infringement.
An example is the iPhone jailbraiking issue. While they obviously don't view it with a friendly eye but they never went after the folks who provide jailbreaking tools albeit those are quite blatant acts of patent and copyright infringement.
My guess is that they're doing this in a preemptive way rather than with any malicious intention towards the potential competitors.

By: Wolf_in_Council

Wolf_in_Council — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:14:11 +0000

No, they are fully exposed implementations with all the working parts revealed and explained.

By: Anentangledreality

Anentangledreality — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:13:09 +0000

Since Apple keeps getting taken to court over patent infringement I bet this is their way of getting ahead of competitors that would like to claim Apple stole their ideas. Their was a company fairly recently but I can't remember who that sued Apple for patent infringement. Apple had already been using the technology and it wasn't patented. This company came in and patented after the fact and then took Apple to court. They did this with several other companies also. If they patent first then they can't be sued. On the other hand if it is technology that is already being used then they will be just like the company that went after them.

By: znmeb

znmeb — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:06:50 +0000

Anybody can *apply* for a patent but not everyone can *get* a patent.

By: Guest

Guest — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:12:01 +0000

“It seems that Apple is now trying to do exactly this kind of thing in mobile apps space. I really hope that U.S. Patent office will see through this Apple ruse, and quickly reject all these patent applications for mobile apps.”

Which may be why Apple is making the applications. If these get rejected then no one with any similar idea will be able to patent these types of apps. Stop the herd before the stampede even gets started!

By: God Damn, People Are Stupid

God Damn, People Are Stupid — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:11:50 +0000

It's rarely the level-headed Apple users, but the raging fanboys that are quick to call anyone that says anything remotely against Apple a hater, attention whore, etc. They should take their own advice and realize it's a company that denies freedom and sells overpriced hardware to the sheep that worship it like it's the second coming of Jesus or something.

–Signed, someone who owns Apple hardware.

By: Shadow14l

Shadow14l — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:47:27 +0000

Are not all software patents just ideas? The same with business method patents.

By: Michael Linehan

Michael Linehan — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:07:47 +0000

Thanks for your insightful and well-argued points. Very persuasive, indeed. I'm sure you have convinced every reader of these comments.

By: Rick Cain

Rick Cain — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:05:19 +0000

I thought you couldn't patent methods, only technologies.

I mean I could go to the patent office and claim to have a death ray, but I would need to prove that I have a working device, not just a concept.

By: Wolf_in_Council

Wolf_in_Council — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:13:56 +0000

You can't patent an idea, you can only patent an implementation. Thus one cannot patent the notion of buying online, but one can patent an online buying system that is new and useful. The patent application has to spell out the complete nuts and bolts and full description of every working part, not just an overview of what it's supposed to do, but every working detail.

By: chrimu

chrimu — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:09:50 +0000

can't wait to use those apps.

By: wired-4058

wired-4058 — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:45:04 +0000

Being Apple hater and hits whore will get you everywhere?

Total rubbish and FUD by a tech blogger who should know better.

By: macweenie

macweenie — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:54:55 +0000

Why discriminate? Hate them BOTH!

By: Staska

Staska — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:43:35 +0000

Yep. It's mostly probably about look and feel. Problem is what happens when
those apps are not on iOS but on Android or Meego…

By: John Sawyer

John Sawyer — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:37:36 +0000

Isn't it a lot more likely that these are patents for some app, or series of apps, that Apple may be developing, and that the patent aspect applies mostly to these potential apps' specific layout, overall “look and feel”, etc., rather than their basic functions?

By: Staska

Staska — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 03:53:19 +0000

You're absolutely right. I read those claims on travel app before posting.
Came to sort of similar conclusion. Except for - phone wakes up, checks
reserved things, GPS and then sends a message "Ï'm here". Tell me
there's no such apps doin these things on Android or iOS already?

Read those claims, almost decided not to publish it. Waited a day. But
noticed hotel and high fashion shoppin app stuff. Again, readin the claims.
Claim No.11 (10 before, 10 after):

A portable electronic device for interfacing with a hotel system, the
portable electronic device comprising:an input component operable to receive
a user request to adjust at least one room setting of a hotel room;
andcommunication circuitry operable to:transmit the user request to the
hotel system;transmit identifying information to the hotel system for
retrieving reservation information of a particular hotel room; andreceive a
confirmation from the hotel system indicating the particular hotel room is
configured with the at least one room setting.

A super invention. Stuff I do with hotel remote or by hand. They are
patenting it if I do it on mobile...

And in HF shopping app there's much more

By: Spechal

Spechal — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:15:11 +0000

The bit was one of the funniest ever. Next up is coming back from the moon with only rocks.

By: Spechal

Spechal — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:15:11 +0000

The bit was one of the funniest ever. Next up is coming back from the moon with only rocks.

By: jgervin

jgervin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:12:18 +0000

Sleazy!!! I hope they submit more of these and other companies pile on so it will destroy what is left of the patent office. This is getting out of control.

By: retard ur

retard ur — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:03:41 +0000

lol u retard. post the captions on the pictures :/ they are not patenting the app ideas – only the fucking controls and usage patterns. something they did since day one.

I hope you die

By: tylernol

tylernol — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:59:07 +0000

as @steve

By: tylernol

tylernol — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:35:17 +0000

as @Steve23 says, the patent is about the location awareness. And I would not get pissed at Apple about this , this is for building up a patent portfolio, it is more for cross-licensing with other behemoths like Google, than squashing a startup. It is the name of the game if you are a big tech player unfortunately.

By: jamesrsullivan

jamesrsullivan — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:34:14 +0000

Even if you have a patent you still have to enforce it… good luck enforcing a patent for online shopping. These patents are for specific location-aware logic though. Too bad they wrote a patent instead of just creating the application which would be much more useful!

By: Steve23

Steve23 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:36:03 +0000

Read the application claims to understand the invention. Not this write up. The proposed invention (at least for the airline) is a system that registers your location as at an airport when you turn off your phone (ostensibly to travel on the plane), and then recognizes when you turn on your phone when you get to the destination. As it registers you at your destination, it sends an email/text to a third party notifying them of your arrival. Now, maybe this has all been automatically done before and time will tell. But the story and knee jerk reactions here are uninformed.

By: HPSauce

HPSauce — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:32:05 +0000

or suit

By: Eyesparky

Eyesparky — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:13:34 +0000

Simple … a patent system without any credibility will cease to hold any sway. If these patents are granted then it will be a major step towards the tearing up of the current system. There is a good comedy sketch by Eddie Izzard where he talks of the British Empire conquering the World with the cunning use of flags. The US patent system is a vain attempt to do the same thing with patents. It will ultimately end in revolt.

By: PXLated

PXLated — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:10:15 +0000

Wasn't patents but in the early days there was something similar (to me anyway), was buying up domain names - hotels.com - travel.com - realtor.com, etc. Tying up the names, getting an advantage.

By: danbec

danbec — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:08:25 +0000

All of these apps and ideas already exist. If these patents get awareded, then the system is seriously broken.

By: john

john — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:50:52 +0000

Freaking ridiculous… that's what it is. New Zealand just passed laws to not allow software patents, perhaps we should follow suite.

By: spiral

spiral — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:46:07 +0000

That copy is just a little bit *too* search engine friendly. Especially that last sentence. It's distracting.

By: spiral

spiral — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:45:12 +0000

You're copy is

By: Ed Everett

Ed Everett — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:27:53 +0000

Another reason to build cross-device websites not apps.

By: Wilhelm Reuch

Wilhelm Reuch — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:27:17 +0000

This likes mostly from stopping Google going there first given Googles latest travel-related activities. Google has done similar patents regarding location aware apps and similar.

By: Jonas Arnklint

Jonas Arnklint — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:25:37 +0000

@wqoq true.

By: wqoq

wqoq — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:08:12 +0000

Don't hate the player. Hate the game.

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:05:08 +0000

With litigation like it is these days Apple is just as likely to be defending themselves as they are to be going on the attack.

By: thedavil

thedavil — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:52:14 +0000

Holy Jobs… now that is very scary

By: Jonas Arnklint

Jonas Arnklint — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:45:16 +0000

Are you kidding me? Is Apple becoming the new Microsoft and building their business model on patents?