On Friday, Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung for copying their iphone and ipad designs and violating their patents and trademarks. Apple says that Samsung has "slavishly" copied their designs, from their touch screen mobile devices to the size and color of the screen icons offered on the phones. The "Galaxy" line of Samsung merchandize is a particular target to the unhappy Apple, as it directly competes with Apple's mobile software.
Apple is also involved in a large amount of litigation at the moment, with their involvement in this case, but they are also being sued by Nokia on different charges. But Samsung is Apple's main competitor, and Apple brings 16 charges against it. Apparently, Samsung's new line of phones copy the "look and feel" of Apple's products, and according to the Times of India, "Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products," the lawsuit allegedly states.
To me, someone who isn't all that up to date on the latest technology, many of these products seem incredibly similar. What with their touch-screens, their bubble-looking icons, and their weird and wonderful features, it can be hard to tell them apart. Apple, to me, has always stood in a category of its own. But is does this accurate to those of you who actually follow technology? Can you tell the difference in the tablets in the picture at the top? Does Apple have substantial claims that their designs, including the "look and feel" of them, are being copied? Or is it just the new era of technology that requires sleek, smooth, touch-screen design?
16 comments:
i'ma pc. to do serious work, you need serious equipment.. but when its time to play... got go with apple and macs. just so much more user friendly. yeeee
-Raymond Lim
This reminds me about the section on monopolies in our wonderful economics textbook. What it comes down to is whether Apple is losing business because Samsung has stolen their idea and has profited from it, well, then Apple has a legitimate claim. On the other hand, it's not like they've "invented" a new piece of tech...not in a radical way, anyway. Maybe if Apple quit whining about competition and focused more on innovating a better product, we would have cheaper technology and less pointless litigation
I don't know if Samsung intentionally tried to copy Apple's designs on its products, but from a consumer's point of view, I support Samsung in this situation because competition drives prices lower for me. I feel that the "look and feel" of apple products is just a style; I don't think having a similar style of design merits a lawsuit. Picasso can't sue all other artists that decided to paint in a similar style to him. I feel that Apple can't sue others for utilizing a style of desgin similar to its own.
Nowadays many things coming out all resemble the iphone or ipad and anything else so I think if Apple were to sue Samsung they would need to sue other companies also because of how similar everything is. Apple is just trying to make it so they have less competition so if they eliminate Samsung, they may have more sales. I personally am not on Apple's side because I don't think they will win due to the resemblance of new technology products these days.
Samsung and Apple products do look a lot alike, but I feel like almost all technological products are looking the same. In order to keep up with competitors and in order to attract buyers, companies need to make products that are really popular, like the ipad. I look at it like styles or trends. A while ago everyone had flip phones and now touch screens, soon it will be something else, just like clothes. I don't think Apple has a good reason to sue unless it is the exact same thing with the exact same technology.
Can I just comment on how well-written this post was? Great work, Alice :) I smell the makings of a journalistttt
Initially I was totally siding with apple but after reading a few of the comments about driving prices down I am totally lost as to who's right and wrong. They both definitely look alike. And apple was definitely the first company to make such a device. But the insides might be different; the interface appears very similar but all the other non-visual specs could be complete opposites. But then again, apple is a huge company and they would not be making a faulty claim against samsung. They're smart and they would not be jumping the gun unless they were very certain that they were right.
Going back to prices, I actually don't think apple's products are that expensive because they definitely do the job. I enjoy my apple products and i think their prices are definitely worth it. But of course since the samsung "ipad" is a related good to the apple ipad, apple has every right to make such claims in order to protect their sales.
Thanks Jason!! :)
Like many people have previously stated, it may be true that siding with Samsung in this case might be good for the consumer.
However, I don't think we should approach the problem from this angle. If a lawsuit is being filed, we should look at the fairness of the claim. If Samsung did, in fact, copy the "look and feel" of Apple by using remarkably similar non-visual techniques, then it isn't fair to Apple to side with Samsung just because it is better for consumers, especially because Apple probably spent more money on research and development if it spearheaded the technology. In this situation, I don't think a scenario in which a monopoly charges outrageously will be formed. Apple's products are not necessities and demand for Apple products are generally elastic, which means Apple is not likely to raise prices to ridiculously high levels; I just don't see a dangerous monopoly on iPads forming anytime soon.
As I do not know the exact details of the claim, I will not side with Samsung or Apple. I just want intellectual property rights to be respected and for fairness when it comes to patents and innovation.
I would love to find what specific charges that apple has filed on Samsung.
I would say that patents usually do not cover style and feel, but what is more inside to the hardware. I believe the only way Samsung would be in the wrong would be if they stole there technology, but I am pretty sure Samsung did not.
Everyone knows every software has different speed and touch. Apple maybe losing customers, but that would be only because the Samsung has actually created a better software.
Sellers hate competition, but buyers love it. I'm on Samsung's side for my personal interest.
The irony of this situation is Samsung actually is one of the biggest suppliers of the iPhone, iPod Touch, Macs and iPad, whether it is RAM, SSD, to possibly even displays. Samsung is also about to file a countersuit, soon. Meanwhile Apple also lost their suit against HTC yesterday, signaling a thing of the future?
Apple is risking their 5.7 billion dollar contract. Is this the right thing to do for them?
http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/19/apple-spent-nearly-5-7b-on-samsung-parts-in-2010-faces-strong/
On another note, all products do look the same and the Samsung devices due actually look like the prior Apple products, so it should not worry them too much. Just look at the MacBook Air, did they copy Sony from almost 5 years ago: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1970. The design looks really close.
It is a given fact that all people rip off one anothers' ideas. Atari very well cannot sue everybody who makes a console video game, nor can nVidia sue other graphics cards companies for producing technology that performs the same task.
Sometimes, however, I wonder if patents should really work as they do. Honestly, Apple has many patents on the iPhone that seem relatively un-innovative: http://www.slashgear.com/apple-sue-htc-over-iphone-patent-infringement-0276357/
I mean, "List Scrolling And Document Translation, Scaling, And Rotation On A Touch-Screen Display"? Just about any software company might think of that.
My problem is not really with Apple. Obviously they want to defend their intellectual property rights, and Samsung really does appear to have copied their entire product, so I support Apple in their endeavor. The patents' intent was to encourage innovation and thusly spur advancement. But I fear that patents actually prevent other inventors from improving on designs and advancing the technological field. I mean, if the first touch-screen was patented and enforced heavily, we wouldn't have had the iPhone for many, many years. In this way patents can truly prevent the market from producing more innovative fare. And especially if companies are patenting ideas that are merely small derivations of current technology, the whole set of patents becomes questionable.
i really dont think there is a huge difference in the products, thus making it reasonable for apple to sue. sadly, this is market competition and when one company makes something cool, another will try to sell something similar. and its not like we didnt have touch screen and icon things before so i really think that its the same difference as a name bag compared to the macys bag: only difference is the name.
I don't agree that Apple has a legitimate case here because although something may look similar doesn't mean their functionality is the same.
Yes of course all tablets look the same! They are all flat rectangles, how else is it supposed to look? No one would want buy a triangle or hexagon shaped one. It's like saying Twilight copied Harry Potter since they are both books. If this is the case then not only Nokia, but HP should be suing Apple too because they came out with one of the earliest tablet PC's.
I am not siding with Samsung because it is better for me as a consumer but because these two products aren't the same. Apple has very exclusive applications tailored for its products and if their competitors are trying to steal or mimic these features then they have a case on their hands, but as for now they don't.
Just because something looks the same doesn't mean that it is the same. Stemming off from this, Charlie's links to Apple's iPod-related patents is key. "Automated Response To And Sensing Of User Activity In Portable Devices"? Really? I'm pretty sure every single damn portable device has this feature. Next thing you know, we'll hear of some company patenting the 'brilliant' idea of putting a hard drive and a piece of software that plays .mp3s, .wmas, and .alacs into a metal casing and selling it for hundreds of dollars. Oh... wait. Consumers should be smart enough to make their own decisions, Apple. And frankly, there's no need for the lawsuit anyway. Apple already controls a majority of the portable music-playing device market, and undeservedly at that, when just looking at a functionality sense. Yeah.
It's not only the Samsung that could be considered a “copy” of an Apple design. Blackberry and HTC all have produced multimedia/wireless devices that have looks and features that they seem to almost inherit from the iPad/iPhone itself. So in reality, Apple actually could be worrying about the fact that quite a couple of wireless device companies make products that “borrow” from the Apple product lineage. But I don't think Apple should fret too much over this. People are still going to buy the original, the genuine article, the real McCoy, and Apple is not going to lose a significant amount of sales due the these alternative products (many of the tablets that could be deemed as a copy of an iPad may cost even more than the Apple product itself, which is less enticing to consumers). So no worries there.
However, I do understand that Apple could view even a significant drop in their sales figures as an equally significant drop in their potential profits. So Apple can sue ahead. Only for now though. I believe that tablets and e-book devices such as the Amazon Kindle and iPad are the forerunners that will lead to a new revolution, where ultra-thin multimedia devices will play a massive role in business organization, portable on the go productivity, and personal entertainment. Soon enough we will see devices like these pop up everywhere, whether they bear the Apple or Samsung logo on their sleek exterior casings. Eventually there's going to be so many of these devices that borrow from Apple's design that it would be impossible for Apple to simply sue just one company.
Post a Comment