Oh this looks like fun. Apple is at it again this month and we have just learned they are taking another stab at Samsung in court over their new Samsung Galaxy Nexus and its slide-to-unlock feature. While the filing clearly is going after Samsung this is an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich feature — more aimed at Google than Samsung, only they get the trouble.
This is another one of those intellectual property (IP) lawsuits where Apple claims specifically the slide-to-unlock is infringing on their property and genius ideas. Just like multitouch things like pinch-to-zoom seem like a natural and only realistic way of completing the task — making these types of lawsuits seem goofy to me. We know Apple recently filed for this patent and it may not be finalized yet (link below) but it isn’t stopping them from getting the guns out a little premature.
The problem here is this is a core feature inside Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, not something specific to Samsung. All future handsets and ICS devices have this exact unlock system although it is not the only way we can unlock our devices. If Apple wins in court we may all have to settle for using out beard infested faces with the Android 4.0 “Face Unlock” feature or resort to some other method. The fact that Apple’s slide-to-unlock only works in one particular direction and way may differ from Android’s any direction will do system and save it from their lawyers, but only time will tell.
I’m going to hold back my thoughts on how I feel regarding this, and instead just let our readers sound off in the comment section below. What do you guys think? Is slide-to-unlock a feature that makes total sense on a touch-only device, and something that shouldn’t be allowed to be patented? Or does Apple have a good case? Keep it clean folks!
[via AllThingsD]
They are such douche bags. Instead of choosing to innovate, they choose to litigate. Apple is out of fresh ideas, so they try to divert attention from that fact by doing things like this.
You seriously think Apple is out of ideas? Really?
yes
aggreed ..look at ios5 copied Google’s pulled down notification bar
Name one thing that IOS5 has brought to the cell phone industry that wasn’t already available before the 4S
nothing, nothing at all, even Siri was already available as an app on the appstore.
even the poor battery life that IOS5 brought was already present on older android phones ;p
if this is how an “innovator” innovates, then me baking an apple pie with pears is the single most important innovation of 2012
Apple has done jack shit you fucktard.
if Apple doesn’t Android, google doesn’t innovate too – because it is simply copying Apple.
Simply copying Apple? GFTO. Slide to unlock was not invented by Apple.
http://www.androidcentral.com/apple-granted-patent-slide-unlock-even-though-it-existed-2-years-they-invented-it
“Samsung has already brought the lowly Neonode N1m in front of the court there — and had Apple’s claims over slide to unlock determined to be “trivial and likely invalid”, and the court refused to consider them.”
This has been beaten to a pulp – the copyright system is broken. Apple is simply playing the game. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
oh you can hate the player, and i hate apple. lol
This is a joke!
Apple should be told where to go.
Its not slide to unlock, its move the circle to unlock… apples is a straight bar that you have to do an exact slide. Not this
I thought apples patent specifically said “pre-defined path” which this unlock system does not have. I think they must be attacking the pattern unlock, rather than the lock screen shown in the article.
i say google should put some patents on their pull from top notification system that iOS5 now uses and sue apple, its so hypocritical.
then they wouldn’t be better than apple.
Google is open source, they embrace it when others copy their work and redistribute. Google knows that it is the way innovation keeps happening and technology can evolve. Apple would rather see its users kept under bars while being told that their products are of far better quality than the ones who “carelessly” expose their code for others to learn and build from. Google only patents things not concerning OS intensive software; their own apps can be closed source, but their OS is always open.
as mentioned above in the article, there are many other ways to unlock the screen..so i don’t see it that it deserves all that, i see that apple lost the battle against android so she wants to try with samsung
lets be realistic.. apple didnt loose the fight… iOS is really good. Cant beat apples consistency in doing tasks.. Nor apples updates even to their 3 year old phones.. Android has a long way to go.
u trollin
nope. i have used an iphone for 1 year, when i lost it i went and got an android.. im telling you.. apples os is really consistent and it has no lag.. then again it has no customization options and no widgets, everything looks so boring and its costs way to much for what it is offering.
How are you supposed to delete a comment?
“I’m going to hold back my thoughts on how I feel regarding this, and
instead just let our readers sound off in the comment section below.
What do you guys think? Is slide-to-unlock a feature that makes total
sense on a touch-only device, and something that shouldn’t be allowed to
be patented? Or does Apple have a good case? Keep it clean folks!”
-Keep it clean- Hehehehe, funny.
I believe this is an old argument and I’ve seen it before. The slide to unlock idea has been around a lot longer than mobiles, Apple or microprocessors devices in general… Here is an example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asso,_chiavistello_porta_Magnocavallo.JPG
hahaha…..I just LOL’d!!
lol, nice. f apple
You sir, have just won the game.
hhahaaha! i d like to see them present this in court.. not that is will stand, but still… their faces! PRICELESS.
rofl
hahahaha you just made my day. that was hilarious! you sir need to be representing in the courtroom. my goodness…didn’t expect this!
Apple: I can copy everyone else, but how dare you copy my copied ideas! Blarglegarblehumph!
Fuck apple…
And the copyright system in the US is broken… Glad i dont live under those conditions…
cant apple just go back to outer space and…just die
wow, i hate making derogatory statements and sounding ghetto, but here goes. Apple you be a bunch o bitches and mo bitches keep buyin yo shit. lets all give apple the finger and congratulate steve wozniak for praising android
Havent Apple just introduced the slide down notification bar……Go after that Android it was your idea……..Apple are starting to look pathetic, glad I never bought one now. Like dealing with a spoilt child
The best things for us to do is to tell our friend and family on how apple conduct their business, and ask them to support android instead.
If apple sales number were hit hard, they would understand that bullying will make them lose customer.
That’s the only way to teach poison apple a lesson.
It’s kind of silly to me the fact that apple are suing for something so stupid as the slide-to-unlock feature. What that shows us is that they see themselves threatened by the progress and the cool new features Samsung has come up with. Like the face unlock feature on the galaxy nexus etc. They really need to realize that they are demeaning themselves and losing customers’ respect by doing this. Besides the slide-to-unlock feature on the Galaxy Nexus works both ways making it easy for users to access the camera. I’ve had iPhones and androids even the 4s. Now I have a galaxy nexus and after having this one as long as Samsung keeps it up like this I don’t think that people after trying their phones will want to get iphones.
this is a loss for apple and a waste of money this gsture was out two years before they invented it, apple in fact stole the idea and then patented it… http://www.androidcentral.com/apple-granted-patent-slide-unlock-even-though-it-existed-2-years-they-invented-it
apple is slowly but surely sounding like a whiner!!
More reason to hate Apple, The true culprits in this are the MORONS who grant these overly broad patents in the first place. Clearly they are out of their depth in terms of grasping emerging technology or they’re being paid off. Or both. If these clowns had been around a hundred years ago, someone would have received a patent on doors on the sides of automobiles and today we’d all be climbing into our cars through the trunk.
I don’t see much equality in Slide to unlock vs. ICS Unlock with actually useful functions. I hope Google has filed a patent for it’s own unlock technology to fight off the Apple troll.
Man, what a weird world. The company that once fought the big bad IBM is now even worse.
I think Google should now make a full blow against Apple, defending their property against those parasite fruits.
Apple needs to chill, they have stolen a lot of ideas from other companies and slide to open on like you said an only touch screen phone is obviously the right way to go about it, hate apple and their hypocritical nature
Talk about android echo chamber. Don’t you guys realize that google stole most of the ideas of android from apple?