USPTO Deals a Big Blow to Apple; Invalidates Their 'Pinch-to-Zoom' Patent

[dgstorm]

Just a few weeks ago, the USPTO made a preliminary ruling that Apple's multi-touch "rubber-banding" patent was likely invalid. Late yesterday, they made another ruling that Apple's "pinch-to-zoom" patent is also invalid. This could have huge ramifications for the previous IP property trial between Samsung and Apple that awarded Apple with $1.05 Billion dollars in damages. Here's a quote with some of the important details,

During the Apple v. Samsung jury trial, Apple asserted Claim 8 of the '915 patent, which covers the heuristics of the "pinch-to-zoom" gesture that invokes the scaling of displayed content. The jury found all but two Samsung products brought to trial infringed on the patent.

From the '915 patent:
8. A machine readable storage medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising: receiving a user input, the user input is one or more input points applied to a touch-sensitive display that is integrated with the data processing system; creating an event object in response to the user input; determining whether the event object invokes a scroll or gesture operation by distinguishing between a single input point applied to the touch-sensitive display that is interpreted as the scroll operation and two or more input points applied to the touch-sensitive display that are interpreted as the gesture operation; issuing at least one scroll or gesture call based on invoking the scroll or gesture operation; responding to at least one scroll call, if issued, by scrolling a window having a view associated with the event object; and responding to at least one gesture call, if issued, by scaling the view associated with the event object based on receiving the two or more input points in the form of the user input.

The USPTO's decision cited multiple cases of prior art including two U.S. patents, one international property and two Japanese filings. In October, the agency invalidated Apple's "rubber banding" or scroll bounce-back patent in a non-final Office action.

For the last couple of weeks we have seen Apple score some minor victories in their patent wars with other companies including both Samsung and Motorola. This new development could be a huge set-back for Apple, and could potentially undermine a lot of their court "strategy." Let's just cross our fingers that it induces them to consider working out a settlement so they can get focused on innovating instead of litigating.

Source: AppleInsider

 

[trestevenson]

:rockon:

 

[jseah]

After taking a break for the holidays, and with Apple getting hammered today in the stock market, it looks like Apple will be getting hammered in the courts as well.

ITC to review Apple patent complaint against Samsung - Yahoo! News

The ITC announced today that they will be reviewing the patent complaints Apple lodged against Samsung. Back in October, an agency judge ruled that Samsung infringed on 4 patents that Apple held and didn't infringe on 2 other patents. The full commission announced today that they will be reviewing the judge's decision and asked the judge to take a second look at portions of two patents where he had found that Samsung infringed.

One of the patents allows the use of a headset with a smartphone while the other allows the device to show an image on a screen with a second, translucent image above it.

 

[MissionImprobable]

I don't want to see Apple fail, but I do want this patent war idiocy to stop. Learn how to innovate again, Apple; it was good for everyone.

 

[droidbionicmaster]

Well without Steve jobs the new looks and functions will stop. This new guy said okay lets do an i phone 5. But only added like 5 new features and slap a $600 price tag with a 2 new year contract. Way to be creative. Apple is now afraid of Samsung and if LG is in second place apple will sue them as well.just because they took the number 2 spot away from them. Sorry I am very anti-apple.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums

 

[sl4sh3r]

Well without Steve jobs the new looks and functions will stop. This new guy said okay lets do an i phone 5. But only added like 5 new features and slap a $600 price tag with a 2 new year contract. Way to be creative. Apple is now afraid of Samsung and if LG is in second place apple will sue them as well.just because they took the number 2 spot away from them. Sorry I am very anti-apple.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums

Soo true brothuh so true. There just so angry haha. Not our faults there phones are trash

Sent from my DROID r4z3r running JB

 

[52brandon]

Well without Steve jobs the new looks and functions will stop. This new guy said okay lets do an i phone 5. But only added like 5 new features and slap a $600 price tag with a 2 new year contract. Way to be creative. Apple is now afraid of Samsung and if LG is in second place apple will sue them as well.just because they took the number 2 spot away from them. Sorry I am very anti-apple.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums

The iPhone 5 was the last device from Jobs

as for the topic itself, awesome news. Perhaps innovation isn't dead