[url="http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Slide-to-Unlock-Apple-Patent-Android-unlock-Patent-infringement,news-12998.html"]http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Slide-to-Unlock-Apple-Patent-Android-unlock-Patent-infringement,news-12998.html[/url]

Im suprised graphics techniques have not been patented yet. I mean after this, then what other hope do we have. The progress of man kind is going to hell.

Most of Apple's patents can be considered a 'joke' with plenty of prior art or indeed just taking things from the academic world and slapping an Apple patent on them.

Most of [s]Apple's[/s] Software/Design/Business method patents can be considered a 'joke' with plenty of prior art or indeed just taking things from the academic world / Common sense and slapping an <insert company name here> patent on them.

Fixed.

Apple really isn't unique in this, Microsoft files for several thousand patents per year (Which should imply that they make tens or even hundreds of real inventions per day), IBM and other big companies are doing the same, the US patent system pretty much forces companies into this behaviour. (Some are more likely to use their patents aggressivly than others though)

And they all manufacture in China, which does not recognize those copyrights!!?!

Meh... one of my old employers patented the use of a virtual 12 sided dice, and one of their competitors patented the use of a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Everyone in the software world should know that patents are absolute bullshit by now.

I'm really thinking of patenting pants zippers, so save up for buttons.

EDIT: better get a piggy bank, 'cause I think I'm gonna go for buttons tomorrow

Meh... one of my old employers patented the use of a virtual 12 sided dice, and one of their competitors patented the use of a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Everyone in the software world should know that patents are absolute bullshit by now.

So it's all just a precaution? "Better have the button if they do", even if you're never going to press it? There's got to be something less retarded to it than that.

[quote name='Hodgman' timestamp='1319884937' post='4878200']
Meh... one of my old employers patented the use of a virtual 12 sided dice, and one of their competitors patented the use of a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Everyone in the software world should know that patents are absolute bullshit by now.

So it's all just a precaution? "Better have the button if they do", even if you're never going to press it? There's got to be something less retarded to it than that.
[/quote]

The US patent office basically only looks for prior art in their own patent database and they don't seem to even consider how obvious something is, if you don't patent it your competitor or a patent troll might, Thus the best way to be safe is to patent everything you can think of that you are using before someone else does.

This patent actually has merit and is not typical rewording of business process or an algorithm.

It's similar to patenting a keycard door lock or tumbler lock, all of which are perfectly valid examples of innovation and a technical solution.

Iffy part here is when it was filed, but not invention itself. Prior art might also be scarce.

To sum up the current patent portfolios of big players in one nifty phrase:

Mutual assured destruction

Oh, and btw.

clicky