[OSGeo-Discuss] About "Interactive Map" patent application by Apple Inc.

[Brent Wood]

Hi Mateusz, 

- they are not patenting the touchscreen as a new patentable innovation, they are patenting the adaptation of a single existing operation to the new technology. 

Perhaps a better analogy would be patenting the use of the word "start" under voice controlled devices to turn on.

Yes - OSGeo :-) But not a protest about the application, but a reasoned contesting of the application with prior art & legally relevant reasons for why the patent application is invalid. I'm not that familiar with US patent law, but have the general impression that he who has the best lawyers wins, & he who has the most $$ has the best lawyers.

A great pity Groklaw is no more.


Seasons greetings to all!

Brent Wood




________________________________
 From: Mateusz Loskot <mateusz at loskot.net>
To: Brent Wood <pcreso at pcreso.com> 
Cc: "discuss at lists.osgeo.org" <discuss at lists.osgeo.org> 
Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2013 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] About "Interactive Map" patent application by Apple Inc.
 

On 21 December 2013 21:15, Brent Wood <pcreso at pcreso.com> wrote:
>
> Click on two points to display a route, touch two points to display a route
> - this is natural progression from mouse based hardware to touch screen
> mode. There should not be any patent there, it is just a generic change in
> pointing device.

User can type a word to 'feed' computer with input,
user can speak... - this is natural progression from
keyboard to voice operation of a HID.

IANAL, and I'm very far from being supportive to the patent in subject,
but I sense such reasoning would be easy to reject at court.


>
> Shock, horror - could OSGEO join with ESRI to contest this?

You mean, OSGeo. Perhaps, a letter with formal protest is technically possible.

Best regards,
-- 
Mateusz  Łoskot, http://mateusz.loskot.net
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