Teknovis

It has been a really interesting week in terms of patents! Probably the biggest news has been Apple‘s attempts to block the selling of superior Android based tablet devices made by Motorola and Samsung. For example, see Samsung delays Australian Tab launch, Apple prevents Galaxy sales in EU, Will Apple block the Motorola Xoom in Europe next?, and Apple patent disputes Xoom towards Motorola. HTC should be in the mix there also as another infringer. However, the fight back in the EU has started according to The Battle Continues: Samsung To Appeal Apple’s European Injunction.

Apple have reasons to be concerned with the rise of the Android based tablets according to Android tablets peel away 20% of iPad’s mega market share.

Yes – I am annoyed by Apple for its behaviour. Although I imagine Google must be more annoyed! See Google Patent Woes for more details.

There has also been considerable interest in some of Apple’s patent applications that become public this week. For example see Apple Patents Hint At Multi-Part Gestures, Touchable OS X and Patent application: Apple wants to put projectors in its iPhones. The first of these is very interesting, and it makes me wonder if there is more to gestures on touch devices than we are currently considering. I do not think that I would be interested in the second idea, due to the extra hardware requirements it would impose on the device. Anyway, we will know if these applications are successful in about 5 years time.

Finally, Google had some success this week with one of its patents – US7996328. It is probably best described in Google lands patent for, um, estimating shipment time. That should help dissuade Amazon from taking patent infringement cases against Google anyway! Amazon is also in the patent news this week for its mobile device airbag idea – Amazon’s Bezos Dreams Up Protective Airbag for Smartphones.

Tags: Amazon, Apple, Google, HTC, Motorola, Samsung

Interesting article: Google Rips Into Microsoft, Apple, Oracle For “Bogus Patents” And Trying To “Strangle” Android.

I am not sure that Google would feel so strongly about the anti-competitive practices of Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle if the roles were reversed!

Oh – the patent world is so fascinating!

Tags: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Oracle

This is a fascinating story – After Amazon And Google, Masterobjects Sues Microsoft Over Instant Search Patent.

I think that MasterObjects have a very valuable patent :)

Tags: MasterObjects

A friend sent me an article about proposed reforms to the EU patenting system. The article is EU Nears Agreement on Patent Deal.

In general, I spend an amount of time working with patents. I think that they are best described as a necessary evil!

I think that the proposed changes described in this article would be brilliant, because it is currently far to bureaucratic and expensive seeking EU wide patents compared to US patents.

However, the prospect of brining in a new patenting system that requires more than one language (English) is missing the point! I think that the advocates of multiple languages need to think beyond their own countries, and take the global view!

This is best described by the words of one French official representative¹:

This is a bit ridiculous … the English version is the one that really matters

¹The French official is official in the sense that he is French, and he solely represents France in personal discussions with me whenever we go for a drink ;)