Apple Sued Over Multi-Touch Patents
We all know Steve Jobs sculpted the iPhone from unicorn tears through a sheer act of singular will and hutzpah — along with buying FingerWorks and winning a glove-full of multi-touch patents of their own along the way (which may or may not still result in several rounds of pugilism with Palm’s Pre).
But who knew they might not have done enough? Elan Microelectronics of Taiwan, that’s who. Elan claims the iPhone, iPod touch, and Macbooks — basically everything featuring multi-touch functionality — is in violation of their patents, and they’ve filed suit in Apple’s home turf of San Francisco to prove it. (No word yet of litigation friendly Texas will sue over not being the venue of choice…)
A previous lawsuit from Elan against a company called Synaptics, who counter-sued resulted in a dismissal and cross-licensing agreement. This time? We’re calling Apple wins by (frenzied) tap-out due to guillotine choke near the end of the second round.
Anyone got the popcorn, hot dogs, and spicy drink?
April 8th, 2009 at 11:47 am
i should start my own company and sue people for living
April 8th, 2009 at 11:55 am
These people who are just randomly sprouting up out of nowhere and suing apple are getting rediculous..
April 8th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Yeah, sore losers with nothing to do but sue our favorite fruit. Apple will win, of course.
April 8th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
So does that mean they will sue Palm once the Pre is out?
Just got an idea, I’ll patent the idea of hovercraft and wait till it becomes popular, then sue the hell out of everyone. I might be 100 years old by then, but I’ll be rich
April 8th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
The plural of Macbook is not Macbook’s. Please use apostrophes for contractions or to show possession.
April 8th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Getting this close to griefing sticklers. Just saying, you can help with typos without being @$$#0!3s to the bloggers, k darlin’s?
April 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Is this an English class?
April 8th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I agree with Rene. This isn’t an English class. Save your whining for another blog.
April 8th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Hey, I love good English as much as the next Shakespearian; it’s just typos happen. They happen to everyone, and are particularly likely in fast-paced blogging.
At least on the web, unlike print, we can fix ‘em if we — or you — find them.
So by all means, we appreciate them. We just don’t need to be abused because of them
April 8th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Pretty much every person I’ve ever seen criticize others’ grammar and spellings on the internet, make their own mistakes right within that very criticism. I get a kick out of that.
I almost replied to Muero for not capitalizing the B in MacBooks, but decided against it (oops).
Yes, we all make goofs… get over it.
April 8th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
If the shoe were on the other foot….?
How many here would be so quick to grant Microsoft “victim status” if Apple sued them for some patent infringement?
After all, the last time this company sued they ended up with a cross-license agreement, which means they have precedent.
Why does every one here assume apple is above “borrowing” screen technology for the same platform the “borrowed” an Operating System and “Borrowed” a web browser?
April 8th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
There just jealous b/c Apple is better than them :p
April 8th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Ah, yes… the ol’ “MultiTouchSquatting” trick.
April 8th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Crazy Americans :p
April 9th, 2009 at 12:49 am
What a bunch of hypocrites, when a weak rumor made it’s way around the internet which involved Palm, the fanboys were saying… “Apple is going to put Palm out of business, the Pre will never launch, another company copying Apple” etc. When the spit fly’s back in Apples face, Apple are somehow the victim now?…
April 9th, 2009 at 3:14 am
Muero = dork