Apple Attempts to Patent Pre-Existing Display Software Idea 256
Nuclear Elephant writes "Apple appears to be taking ideas from commercial software already being sold and is attempting to patent the
concepts as their own. According to Apple Insider, Apple has recently filed a patent application for a notification screen on the iPhone. The only problem with this is that Intellisync has been using this concept in their popular iPhone notification screen software for over a year now, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this is a clear rip-off. Apple recently became famous (or infamous) for stealing other people's ideas when they rolled out their Dashboard in Mac OS X, which had many similarities to a desktop widget program named the Konfabulator, which later became Yahoo widgets. The case here isn't a simple hijacking of an idea, however — Apple is applying for a patent on Intelliscreen's concept, which could be detrimental to the original manufacturer of the software, who is actively selling it for Jailbroken iPhones"
So, let me get this straight... (Score:3, Interesting)
"Apple is applying for a patent...which could be detrimental to the original manufacturer of the software, who is actively selling it for Jailbroken iPhones"
Wow. Patent against software being sold for illegal phones. I'd sue, but I'm not quite sure where to start on that one.
Right... (Score:5, Interesting)
Uh, Konfabulator stole their widgets from NeXTStep.
Which is owned by who, again? Oh, right. Apple.
konfabulator (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Way to go Apple! (Score:5, Interesting)
If you read the patents you would see that Apple is doing something innovative in comparison to what Intellisync is doing. It's obvious, but also different.
Intellisync's idea is to provide you a message center while the lock screen is up.
Apple's patent is to provide you a message board before and after you dismiss the lock screen.
Right now no one does it. I haven't seen it anywhere in any OS or operating environment, and in that case it is innovation. Obvious, but innovative.
Re:Way to go Apple! (Score:3, Interesting)
Nope. Sorry. Bzzt. Wrong. No one would say don't hate the player if this were Microsoft or SCO
Nope. Sorry. Bzzt. Wrong. I would be saying "don't hate the player" if this were Microsoft. I don't hold it against Microsoft that they file for patents, even if they're silly patents. There may be plenty of reasons to hate Microsoft, but that's not one of them. It's something that, given their position, they *have to* do.
Re:Way to go Apple! (Score:3, Interesting)
Usually home based XP can be pro as well if you leave the welcome screen option on. Maybe both the welcome and fast user switching option. I think it only works with a microsoft based email. If you use google mail or any other web based email I am not sure the locked screen will tell you how may emails you have. It doesn't tell me for my web based email at least.