Apple Loses Copyright Suit for iPod; Pays $100mil

[racer2c]

But since they've sold 100 beeelion iPods, they'll survive. A rather quiet piece of news.

Link (http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/23/technology/apple_creative.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes)

[nrc]

But since they've sold 100 beeelion iPods, they'll survive. A rather quiet piece of news.

Link (http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/23/technology/apple_creative.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes)

It was a stupid patent on a really trivial navigation concept that almost certainly has prior art. It's a shame Apple caved. The U.S. patent system is hopelessly broken.

[racer2c]

Technology lawsuits are as common as rainy days in London. The majority getting thrown out. I thought it interesting that Apple just went ahead and settled. $100 mill is a nice chunk o' change.

[theunions]

What exactly is the nagivation concept in question?

[nrc]

What exactly is the nagivation concept in question?
Basically it's navigating through a music collection hierarchically based on song tags - Artist->Album->Songs for example.

http://www.creative.com/zenpatent/

[grungex]

Pretty much how any five-year-old would do it.

[racer2c]

Pretty much how any five-year-old would do it.

5 year old's made the iPod? Damn these kids get smarter all the time.

[racer2c]

I guess Apple's four issues were even more trivial. :rolleyes:


Apple sues iPod rival over patents
Bloomberg News

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2006
WASHINGTON Apple Computer, maker of the iPod music player, is suing Creative Technology, raising the stakes in the legal dispute over competing devices.

Apple claims Creative Labs, the U.S. division of Creative Technology, infringes four patents in its hand-held digital players. The suit was filed in a Wisconsin District Court on May 15, the same day Creative filed a lawsuit and a trade complaint against Apple.

"Creative proactively held discussions with Apple in our efforts to explore amicable solutions," Phil O'Shaughnessy, a spokesman for Creative, said. "At no time during these discussions or at any other time did Apple mention to us the patents it raised in its lawsuit."

Creative filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking an order to block imports of the iPod, most of which are made in China. A lawsuit the company filed against Apple in District Court in San Francisco is likely to be put on hold while the trade complaint is heard.

The iPod controls 77 percent of the U.S. market, compared with less than 10 percent for Creative.




Link (http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/18/business/ipod.php)

[KLang]

There is similar crap going on between Tivo and DishNetwork. A court recently ordered Dish to turn off all it's DVR's. :mad: It has been stayed until it is appealed.

[Sean O'Gorman]

:o

But thats why I have Dish in the first place!

[Ankf00]

directv tivo > dish tivo :p

[racer2c]

The Apple settlment is good news for Zen owners. I talked my sister-in-law to get a Vision M for her 12 year old. My niece loves it and has asked for a portable speaker system. I get a distraught call from my sis-in-law saying that all the speakers systems at Best Buy are ONLY for iPods. I tell her to look at the fine print as most will say "compatible with other portable devices". This means you have to plug an analog line in cable. She bought a nice system from Apple and it works but the front interface doesn't work as of course the line in isn't interfacing with the devices OS. Now, going forward we should be able to get adapters and cross compatible systems.


...Apple can continue making and profiting from the market-leading iPod, and Creative earns the dubious honor of partnering with Apple to make matching accessories, such as speaker systems and head phones. Creative will continue to make and sell new models of its Zen Mp3 player, according to a company representative.

The Apple "Made for iPod" program is no sweet deal, either. Apple takes an approximately 10% cut of wholesale prices on sales of the peripheral devices, and the market is already crowded with companies like Belkin, Griffin Technology and Digital Lifestyle Outfitters .

Creative is not a major player in the audio player accessory market—especially not in marketing and promoting products for other companies’ devices. Why was Hoo so eager to take the accessories deal instead of more cash?

There must be something somebody's not talking about, says Enderle. "I think Apple offered Creative something that gives them a competitive advantage--an incentive--in this space. Nobody has said what that is." A Creative representative said the terms of the "Made for iPod" agreement are confidential.

Link (http://www.forbes.com/business/2006/08/24/creative-technology-apple-cx_rr_0824creative.html)

[oddlycalm]

It was a stupid patent on a really trivial navigation concept that almost certainly has prior art. It's a shame Apple caved. The U.S. patent system is hopelessly broken. Agreed, and it just feeds the game the Asian companies play. The patent shouldn't have been granted in the first place, even an application patent, on such a trivial detail.

The other side of the coin is that none of the Asian countries will grant a US company or individual a patent without years of BS and waiting periods during which the contents of the patent is freely revealed to any interested companies. The US should treat foreign entities exactly the same way their respective patent office treats US entities and the problem would go away in short order.

oc

[dando]

It was a stupid patent on a really trivial navigation concept that almost certainly has prior art. It's a shame Apple caved. The U.S. patent system is hopelessly broken.
Amazing how something like this sticks, yet Apple's suit vs. M$FT on the OS UI fails. :shakehead

-Kevin

[Wabbit]

I wonder if Microsoft is watching this for it's new Zune player coming out.

Doubt it. :shakehead

[G.]

There is similar crap going on between Tivo and DishNetwork. A court recently ordered Dish to turn off all it's DVR's. :mad: It has been stayed until it is appealed.Crap, I'm finally ready to go HD, too. Any idea when this will be resolved?

[Joelski]

Amazing how something like this sticks, yet Apple's suit vs. M$FT on the OS UI fails. :shakehead

-Kevin

A GUI is more open to standards of design and artisitc creativity. All autos perorm best with four wheels installed, yet not every one has to be painted red. You can't sue other manufacturers for having 4 wheeled cars, or painting them the same basic color of the spectrum.

On topic: This judgement simply empowers Apple to institute another price increase. :rolleyes:

[KLang]

Crap, I'm finally ready to go HD, too. Any idea when this will be resolved?

Nope. My guess is years, I'm not sweating it. The current ruling is being appealed, no idea how long that might take. There is also a suit filed by Dish against Tivo trying to have their patent thrown out. I figure worst case Dish will have to cough up some $ or buy Tivo.

I'd say go for it! Dish now has 30 HD channels available plus locals in some markets.

[cameraman]

Crap, I'm finally ready to go HD, too. Any idea when this will be resolved?

there are two ways this could go away

First the appeals court tosses the decision. As a Dish owner I'd vote for this one.

Second, Dish is madly working on their dvr technology to make it non-infringing. How they plan on doing that without me having to buy a new dvr, I can't say.