Thread: Apple Patents Multi-Touch Technology

The evil empire has struck again. Apple Inc. has been awarded the patent it has been waiting for since December of 2007, the patent for multi-touch technology. The patent covers pretty much everything that a user can do on a touch screen that involves more than one touch (think pinch to zoom, multi-touch rotate; etc).

This presents a serious problem for every other phone/OS manufacturer. Companies like Nokia, RIM, HTC, Motorola, Samsung; etc will have to either invent a new technology that does what multi-touch currently does for them or pay a licensing fee to Apple. If neither is chosen, then Apple will most likely have a flurry of lawsuits dealt out.

This example proves something most of us already knew. Apple likes to take ideas from others but does everything in its power to prevent rivals from doing the same. In the interest of fairness, if RIM did this I personally would think it was genius but it's Apple and iHate Apple (see what I did right there?).

What's in store for the future of every other cellphone manufacturer and what will RIM specifically do?

Wait & see for RIM to lawsuit them for stealing the BBM idea

This patent won't hold...
All other companies will fight it, and (I hope) with success.
This is too big of an already integrated way of using a phone.
It's like Ford patenting the ability to steer left and right.
Besides that, touch has been used by brands even before December 2007, like the Motorola Accompli 008. And yes, that used a stylus but also worked by touch. And what about the Ericcson R380 pro, both before the year 2000. But there are a lot more...

Originally Posted by Poita316

This patent won't hold...
All other companies will fight it, and (I hope) with success.
This is too big of an already integrated way of using a phone.
It's like Ford patenting the ability to steer left and right.
Besides that, touch has been used by brands even before December 2007, like the Motorola Accompli 008. And yes, that used a stylus but also worked by touch. And what about the Ericcson R380 pro, both before the year 2000. But there are a lot more...

They patented 'Multi-Touch', not just touch. Now, because of this patent, RIM won't be able to have any 2-fingered gestures anymore, but touch is just fine.

You probably know this, but I just wanted to feel like I added something to this thread

Originally Posted by sabisgeek

They patented 'Multi-Touch', not just touch. Now, because of this patent, RIM won't be able to have any 2-fingered gestures anymore, but touch is just fine.

You probably know this, but I just wanted to feel like I added something to this thread

If you read the full official patent it includes the "scroll with 1 finger" (The device has to “detect a translation gesture by a single finger,” and in response somehow translate both the main content and the frame content. That means when you scroll with a single finger, everything has to move.) So when browsing etc by whiping up and down you navigate through the webpage, and that has also been done before december 2007, e.g. LG Prada
I can look up more, but I think you get my point.
We never mind it when something positive is being added

Originally Posted by Poita316

If you read the full official patent it includes the "scroll with 1 finger" (The device has to “detect a translation gesture by a single finger,” and in response somehow translate both the main content and the frame content. That means when you scroll with a single finger, everything has to move.) So when browsing etc by whiping up and down you navigate through the webpage, and that has also been done before december 2007, e.g. LG Prada
I can look up more, but I think you get my point.
We never mind it when something positive is being added

Oh wow. I didn't know it was THAT serious. How can they patent something like that? That's like the basis of all touchscreen things...

Hopefully they'll remove the patent soon (can they even do that?)

Originally Posted by sabisgeek

Oh wow. I didn't know it was THAT serious. How can they patent something like that? That's like the basis of all touchscreen things...

Hopefully they'll remove the patent soon (can they even do that?)

Just a quote, but yeah...
Thats what I ment, it's been done atleast 8 years before Apple applied the patent.
Thats why I compared it to the left and right steering, it's the base of it all...

All the other companies should come together and fight this crap...the way how iHate apple, i dont even eat apples anymore...^_^

Originally Posted by fortis

I dont even eat apples anymore...^_^

Even I'm not THAT extreme o_O lol

Out of fairness and curiosity in regards to multi-touch, wasn't Apple the first to use it? Anyone have the historical facts on this?

Originally Posted by Joe Jerde

Out of fairness and curiosity in regards to multi-touch, wasn't Apple the first to use it? Anyone have the historical facts on this?

They were, but the patent is about includes touch in all ways :S
Thats what makes it so extreme.
What would it mean if others didn't fight this patent?

Originally Posted by Poita316

They were, but the patent is about includes touch in all ways :S
Thats what makes it so extreme.
What would it mean if others didn't fight this patent?

If they came up with the concept they should be able to patent what they have created so far. That doesn't mean they should be able to patent new multi-touch implementations that are different from their own. One could argue that the first to use touchscreen on a phone (palm?) would be able to sue Apple for taking the tech to a phone.

Originally Posted by Joe Jerde

If they came up with the concept they should be able to patent what they have created so far. That doesn't mean they should be able to patent new multi-touch implementations that are different from their own. One could argue that the first to use touchscreen on a phone (palm?) would be able to sue Apple for taking the tech to a phone.

But if they sue for touchscreen technology, they'd sue RIM too. Sorta like a lose-lose situation with RIM here

Side note:
Palm was awesome.
Had to add that in there