Apple has rolled out its most powerful legal guns and is taking aim at Google's biggest target. The iPhone maker filed another lawsuit against Samsung and its Galaxy Nexus, though it's not the hardware that's irked Cupertino. Rather, it's the Android Ice Cream Sandwich software.
Apple has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to ban the Nexus because of a batch of software patents it claims Google has infringed, The Verge reports. These are wide-ranging, including such intricacies as clicking a phone number to call, and sliding across the screen to unlock. And if successful, it could put the brakes on the Ice Cream Sandwich rollout lots of other companies are trying to get going. Uh oh.
Apple wants to defend patents that cover quite a few of the iPhone's features. One focuses on detecting data like a phone number in an email or web page, and letting you call it by clicking. Another covers searching lots of sources of information on the device and online through a single interface, like Siri, or -- presumably -- the magnifying glass icon on Android devices.
Slide to unlock is covered by another patent. While Apple has patented an image unlock feature, this one looks to cover everyone else's subtly different variations. The last patent covers suggesting words while you type on a touchscreen keyboard, then allowing you to accept or reject said suggestions.
Predictive text? Clicking a phone number to call? Search? Is it just us or are these claims a step too far?
This news comes soon after Apple decided to sue Motorola concerning a Qualcomm licensing deal. Apple claims Qualcomm pays Motorola to licence the components used in its chips, so Apple shouldn't have to pay Moto again. Motorola recently had the iPhone and iPad banned in Germany, though Apple soon overturned the ban. Apple also banned the Samsung Galaxy Tab for being too similar to the iPad, though Samsung redesigned and now it's fine.
Which side are you on? Is Apple right to defend its software like this? Or is it being too litigious? Let us know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.
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james79 12 February, 2012 09:54
APPLE- IS AN ****<br />
I wish apple would just get on with making good phones rather than trying to stop everyone else competing with them. Apple is threatened by androids ics. I just hope someone sues apple bigtime so they cant make stupid lawsuits and claims anymore. In the very near future my £100 live walkman is getting ics which is good. I know its no iphone but its very good and will be better with the update. To be frank I dont want to pay £400 plus on a phone when I can get nearly as good for a fraction of the price and this is what apple is trying to stop. So stick your iphone and your price coz it aint worth it and leave ics well alone- I want my update!
dudgybudgie 12 February, 2012 10:01
Apple are just going way to far with these lawsuits.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 10:12
Apple are you joking! You cannot BAN software from countries. How'd you like it if iOS was banned?!?! You wouldn't would you! Grow up!
anonymous 12 February, 2012 10:13
When you can't innovate you litigate. Apple has amassed a $100 billion war chest from from profits made by violating others' patents and by using slave labor in China. It's now using that war chest to slow down all it's competitors and vendors. Personally I think they should all simply refuse to work with Apple -- stop doing business with it -- no more chips, no more screens, no more glass. Apple is dispicable and those who buy Apple producs are complicit in exploiting children.
james79 12 February, 2012 10:14
Apple are PARTY POOPERS!
Peter Hudson 12 February, 2012 10:15
To be fair to apple though. The data detectors was something that they developed and patented in their OS long before the iPhone came out. If google are using it without adhering to the patent rules, then apple should go after them. At least this law suit is over something specific and not over something vague like 'look and feel' of the OS
anonymous 12 February, 2012 10:18
I use a lot of apple devices and love them, but I can realize when someone is being too aggressive and arrogant, and apple is certainly doing it.
But to be fair on the other hand every big company is suing each other for peanuts, so why should Apple be any different?
anonymous 12 February, 2012 10:20
clicking on a phone number to call? erm i seam to recall that been a fairly standard feature on most phones long before icecream sandwich.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 10:23
So this is what monopolizing means.
I am starting to see more and more meaning in what Richard Stallman says.
- Dexter
Peter Hudson 12 February, 2012 10:23
It's not just the clicking on a phone number. Data detectors are what allow the phone to recognise things like addresses and allow one click address book entry or detect dates and times and allow one click calendar event creation.
It's the one click interaction with with detected txt strings that the patent covers. And apple created it in OSX.
damien2501 12 February, 2012 10:30
Apple have basically patented the phone. Strange, i thought Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone in 1876. Oh wait, i must be wrong apple have the patent. They must have invented it
anonymous 12 February, 2012 10:31
Detecting a phone number on a web page is not only done by Apple's iOS. Skype does this on your PC or Mac for you already. Skype is also owned by Microsoft and I dont see them suing Apple, considering they are huge rivals.
This just gets ridiculous. If Apple were so concerned about losing competition in a globally competitive market (and not in a monopoly which they seem to be attempting to create, and coincidentally is not allowed by US, EU and UK competition law) they would and should spend more time being creative and inventing new things for the iPhone and iOS, not wasting money they could potentially invest on law suits that waste time.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 11:19
Oh my, and apple don't copy much from android?. Have you seen there noticfication pull down in the new iOS 5, you know the one that google and android phones have been using for years? or what about Siri, the voice command system that basically stole google voice features and just changed things around abit, again android phones have had this for like 2 years. Apple is becoming old hat, the iPhone 5 will not be able to compete against the new phones from samsung, HTC and maybe even LG. What realyy pisses me off though is that people still think the iPhone is the best phone? GROW UP APPLE AND TRY MAKING BETTER PRODUCTS!
phd8569 12 February, 2012 11:31
I'll keep this short. Apple are taking the **** Not every one wants or can afford an iPhone. They might want market share but this is the wrong way to get it.Hope this turns potential (intelligent) buyers away.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 11:34
why is it that apple never targets microsoft? It seems they have made some sort of agreement not to target each other in legal matters. I think apple sees now that android is now a serious threat to ios due to the speed of its development and refinement. More to the point how were they allowed to patent swipe to unlock? Seriously that was done ages ago on the Neonode N1m. Years before the iphone was out. Surely they could sue apple for this if they wanted.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 12:07
It's a grudge thing. Apple feel Google stabbed them in the back, and now they're out for them.
HarryMonmouth 12 February, 2012 12:09
It's almost like Steve is still here.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 12:46
Crazy behaviour from Apple... they seem to in the middle of the worst PR exercise in their history. Whilst they may be 'protecting' their business they seem to not have noticed that a majority of the world is currently very much against companies that act like gangsters with little or no regard to others.
Sociologically America and other Western countries are embroiled in the Occupy discussion, either directly through participation or in a more anamorphic, abstract discussion... with this in mind, it could suggest this constant attempt to bully the competition will only result in Apple being seen as the 1%.
Sounds crazy? Maybe. But once a mid set is shifting, it is hard to stop and the kinds of discussion that are taking place regarding larger political and business motivations seep into other areas.
This could be backed up with some research papers I guess referring to trends and the manner in which social capital and ideas either proliferate or decline but meh. Alternatively I could just point out that my Samsung S2 is so much better than my old iPhone and would probably be a best seller if only the Android app store wasn't so utterly dreadful. That alone is something Apple and Android should be aware of.
Where's my tin foil hat?
Ryan J Pattinson 12 February, 2012 14:42
apple are so retarded they make **** and talk **** samsung and foxcomm should stop making stuff them
Naryan 12 February, 2012 14:54
I've had enough of this.<br />
<br />
Apple can just **** off and die.<br />
<br />
It would make my day if they, all of them, and all the **** they carry with them was to disappear of the face of the planet tomorrow.<br />
<br />
The world would be a better place for it.<br />
<br />
Scumbags...
anonymous 12 February, 2012 15:59
What abt the pull down menu copied by apple?
this proves that google is not scared of apple but apple is!!!!
anonymous 12 February, 2012 17:23
Apple are the real life umbrella corp. Can't stand to see anyone else get their hands on a market share ****.
Matteo Paparoni 12 February, 2012 17:33
Everyone here please do me a favor, join "I hate Apple" on Facebook :)
musicman96 12 February, 2012 18:25
Apple are so pathetic
Ross SuBo Coulter 12 February, 2012 18:54
It sounds like Apple is suing for the use of "their" ideas, instead of for the use of their inventions. Although this may be due to dumbing down and basic reporting not telling the whole facts for a catchier article.
But really who the hell allowed an idea to patented anyway? I'm surprised Apple hasn't tried to patent "answer a phone with a press of a button"
Back in the early days of the software makers suing wars it was down to the coding actually used, companies just ripped off the codes from other companies. They tried to sue for the "idea" but then lawyors/judges ruled in the favour of the actual "invention" and not the "idea." Now it just seems the "invention" is being missed out. And is just quite very silly!
I hope I've made some sense.
Samuel Treadaway 12 February, 2012 19:10
Why haven't car makers sued each other for using ABS or EPS or wait for it... a key to start the engine?
Apple is getting silly now, I love Apple computers not their mobiles or iPod Touch (Classic rules). Apple are worried they are losing market dominance as Android handsets are proving more popular and cheaper, you can pick up an Android handset on a contract for less than £15/month contract or less than a £100 PAYG. Who wants to pay more a month for a restrictive contract for a handset that can be matched by a Samsung, HTC, et al running Android? I may only have a LG P500 but it has aGPS, wi-fi, 3.5G, bluetooth. - why do I need anything more?
Apple, deal with it and accept your place in the market - you're not class leading anymore (at least in cellular telecommunication devices).
anonymous 12 February, 2012 19:28
Hate Apple, Pathetic. They can see that Android is advancing whilst the dull iOS is aged horse manure.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 21:12
Apple are a pathetic sad bunch. They have sheep for customers and think that they invented everything. They make.life difficult for there customers- why use micro sim cards other than to make it difficult to swap brands.
anonymous 12 February, 2012 22:50
In Russia, Apple uses you mwahahahaha
anonymous 13 February, 2012 05:27
android owns 53% smartphone market shares and phones like s2 evo 3d sony xperia s have better processors and ram which is really pissing off apple
anonymous 13 February, 2012 09:18
So Apple have essentially rebadged/packaged the notion of Hyperlinks and are suing someone based on the resulting 'product'.
anonymous 13 February, 2012 10:06
As apple have never had an original thought and just package other people's ideas in a pretty box it is insane that they are doing this. The US Govt and teh EU need to launch anti-trust investigations at them.
anonymous 13 February, 2012 16:33
First off, for those that are saying why apple don't sue Microsoft is because Microsoft licence patents from apple and vice-versa however a lot of features that android uses don't licence the patents.
Then, for those saying that apple uses stuff from android like the notifications pane thing, that's licenced from google so ou can't just go around saying that apple do it a lot, yes apple copy but that's because they tr to give the full package
Also the reason why android has a lot more market share is because it's open source, free to develop and is used on loadssssss of phones, where as iOS is used on iPhone, iPod and iPad. So you can sorta see why android have a bg share, still apples isn't exactly small is it? Especially for 3 devices. So when you compare phone sales instead of OS sales you see that apple is still quite dominant, not that I want it to rule because I think competition is good after all without competition devices would be crap because there's nothing to be better than.
After all I am writing this on a iPad 2 but I have a toshiba laptop, a dell computer and a LG phone simply because they are not bad and actually quite good for their job.
anonymous 13 February, 2012 19:22
Hasn't Microsoft been using this feature in their Office product for 2 decades, now
anonymous 14 February, 2012 06:48
Apple is fast becoming the bully of the playground. This is seriously childish behaviour and pretty desperate too. I cant believe they actually think they are right. It stinks of kicking the Galaxy Nexus into the legal long grass to stop any further gains in market share the new iPhone comes out. Im guessing they will have no shame in introducing widgets in the new iOS or whatever else they decide to take, like they have with notifications - as far as i understand apple like to take from open source but want to stiffle competition and advancement. Shame on you apple.
anonymous 15 February, 2012 17:11
I seem to recall having the 'phone numbers detected within emails', and 'click to call' features on a BlackBerry back in 2006.
Apple can suck it.
anonymous 16 February, 2012 10:44
Apple - the Rupert Murdoch of the phone world!
anonymous 18 February, 2012 07:07
This is the limit, I mean they wish to ban word prediction, calling numbers.
Next they will ban Producing Babies. Duh!
100wattbulb 19 February, 2012 18:52
Apple is acting like a wounded animal thrashing around before it dies.
james79 19 February, 2012 20:12
OH DEAR!! - What a shame apple are in trouble with the 'ipad' name! All I can say is ha-ha ha-ha! What goes around comes around!
anonymous 9 March, 2012 17:03
If this was a Star Trek episode:
Google would be the Federation, Microsoft, the Borg and Apple would be the Dominion.
hendster167 12 March, 2012 12:05
ha - agree with James79.
I HATE Apple for multiple reasons & will never buy an Apple product. I was interested at one point, but once you get past its pretty design you tend to see what a restricted rip off iPhone's & iPad's really are.
How can you sue a company that makes components for the majority of your devices!???
what's next? sue Nokia for using a colour screen? Samsung for putting a camera on a phone....... pppft!
anonymous 14 March, 2012 03:44
Detecting an email or web page in text, and allowing you to select it....... Just like MS Outlook has been doing for the last 10 years.
Apple, grow up.