Yesterday a German court ordered Samsung to stop selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet in that country, and the ruling could stop Galaxy Tab sales in almost all European Union countries — at least until Samsung appeals or Apple’s lawsuit goes to trial. But it looks like Apple isn’t just going after Samsung for allegedly copying the iPad’s design. The company is also suing Motorola.
Apple’s complaint against Samsung includes mention of another lawsuit against Motorola, makers of the XOOM tablet. There have been no injunctions issued in that case yet and there’s nothing stopping Motorola from selling the XOOM in Europe for now. But that could change if Apple has its way.
The European court battles are over the design of these tablet devices, not a particular hardware or software patent. But the two companies have been battling each other over several dozen patents in US courts since last year.
Imagaine if a car company sued other car companies because their vehicles were similar in design? There would be very few (if any; with the exception of the Smart car and VW Beetle) car companies and create a monopoly. Perhaps Apple wants to be like Microsoft? Suing companies that they either can not compete against or buy? IMO; the consumer is hurt by this kind of trivial lawsuit.
Industrial Designs are a form of Intelectual Property Rights (IPR) which can be defended. The actual protection of this IPR varies from country to country, if I recall correctly in Germany and some other European countries just by releasing a product you get the protection; hence that’s probably why they using Germany. In the end it has to be demonstrated and I am sure that people will easily find prior-art (touch-screen phones anyone) and hence cancel the “novel” requirement to have this Right.
Jesus, that is f**ed up, I mean, what kind of design can screen and battery put together in one case have?! There is no way to make other design, its either smooth one like iPad/Samsung or boxy with buttons like ThinkPad. What else?! Yeah, make it round like circle and big, unusable, sssure… Hey, what about patenting square and other geometrical patterns and suing everything and everyone in the world, mathematicians included, Apple, how about this?
Lame and dumb, thats sad.
I read a comment from a blogger saying that the lawsuits were related to design issues rather than software or technical issues. Â I know these big companies apply for a lot of patents, so I am curious to know if these lawsuits are just about these devices looking or behaving too much like an IPOD or IPAD, or is there something more to them. Â
There can be only one tablet – Apple.
Yeah right.
Come on now, even the hint of a similar design has Apple in an uproar? Are they afraid of something? They shouldn’t be if they are confident in their own product.
they think by doing all that will make people buy their products? keep on dreaming loooooooooser