Apple has won a major skirmish in its war with Android. A German court has ruled in the iPhone and iPad's favour over the ability to unlock your phone by swiping your finger on the screen.
Apple accused Motorola of infringing its slide-to-unlock patent, which covers "unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image". This week Apple won an injunction on Moto-made Android smart phones that slide to unlock, which could pave the way for further claims against other manufacturers of Android-powered phones and tablets such as deadly rival Samsung.
Patent experts FossPatents reports Munich Judge Peter Guntz ruled in Apple's favour in two out of three patent disputes -- the Motorola Xoom escaped the ban because its slide-to-unlock feature is slightly different.
Fortunately, Motorola can therefore modify its smart phones to use the same type of unlocking feature as the Xoom, and sidestep a ban. Apple is likely to have another crack at this type of unlocking when Motorola appeals this week's ruling, however.
It's a major blow for Android, as this is a pretty fundamental feature -- in fact, I'd argue it's one of the features you use the most, because whatever you do with your phone you have to unlock it first. Ice Cream Sandwich lets you unlock your phone with your face, but that's not entirely secure. For the folks at Google to have to reinvent the unlocking process would be pretty tough, although I would be fascinated to see what they came up with.
It hasn't come to that yet, happily: Motorola is appealing the decision, while in the Netherlands a court ruled Android's slide-to-unlock feature is safe because it's an obvious method of unlocking a phone, so Apple can't claim dibs.
Apple's proxy war on Android by targeting individual manufacturers in various countries continues. Before his death last year Apple boss Steve Jobs vowed "thermonuclear war" on Android.
Is this another example of Apple fighting dirty in the war of the smart phones? And what weird and wonderful alternative ways can you think of to unlock your phone? Unlock your weird and wonderful ideas in the comments or on the Facebook page.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 16
Add your comment
Angelos Bogatinis 17 February, 2012 17:40
What a load of bullsh¥t
anonymous 17 February, 2012 17:41
do you not read you're own site ?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-57380117-17/google-wins-slide-to-unlock-patent-as-apple-battle-heats-up/
anonymous 17 February, 2012 17:53
And Google haven't even taken them to court over the pull down notification bar that Apple stole and included in iOS5 onwards...
phd8569 17 February, 2012 18:20
So what about the gesture/pattern unlock as seen on Samsung and HTC phones? Why not just use that?
Peter Hudson 17 February, 2012 18:27
Google should have seen all this coming. Apple made a big mistake by not patenting the desktop UI in PCs and had to watch MS make billions from it. Steve said at the keynote for the very first iPhone that they had patented the hell out of it. Google then built an OS that uses a lot of the technologies and methods that iOS uses, they should have known that Apple would come after the people who use it.
Matteo Paparoni 17 February, 2012 19:09
Why is it always German courts that decide to ban things yet no one else does? They also seem a lot on Apple's side.
anonymous 17 February, 2012 19:12
http://www.androidcentral.com/apple-granted-patent-slide-unlock-even-though-it-existed-2-years-they-invented-it
Wonder how Apple got the patent if there is prior art.
anonymous 17 February, 2012 19:49
Apple....I'm saying this for your own good....grow up!
androin 17 February, 2012 22:32
Peope SHUT THE HELL UP!! are you forgetting that apple is not a fricking human being with a fricking heart. It's a F**KING COMPANY!! A BUSINESS!!!
Its not their job to have SYMPATHY for other businesses this is F***ING WAR!! If someone other company goes stealing your idea, why the hell should you just sit there and go "yeah we'll share", you SUE! It doesn't matter how small the situation is, you SUE! Apple has learnt from what happened to them with MIcrosoft stealing their idea and making BILLIONS so now, they ain't taking no chance.
Samuel Treadaway 18 February, 2012 07:58
Maybe Apple should concentrate on building better handsets rather than suing everybody it feels touches on a vague patent they happened to have dreamt up. Just a thought...
Peter Hudson 18 February, 2012 09:58
If apples handsets are so bad that they need to "concentrate on building better" ones then why have every manufacturer spent the last few years ripping it off.
And Androin, good for you. It's about time people realised that these are businesses and not a super best friends club who have tea parties and share all their ideas with each other.
Ross SuBo Coulter 18 February, 2012 13:36
As I said before, when did patent's allow "ideas" to be patented?
Gone are the days of software companies suing for stolen and copied code and the technology behind making the idea work.
Naryan 18 February, 2012 17:37
They need to f*** off and die, for the good of the planet.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 06:52
I'll be really convinced to buy an iphone when it's the only phone that has slide-to-unlock feature. LOL
anonymous 19 February, 2012 15:59
Maybe the first phone manufacturer to have a volume button on the side of their phone should have sued all other manufacturers.... maybe google should sue apple for having a notification pull down, maybe nokia should sue everyone for bringing out touch screen smartphones (nokia 7700 rel. 2003), or if you want to go back further ibm simon (1992). This is all pointless, no one should be allowed to patent something which isnt innovative, most of what apple patents is common sense. If they hadnt have done it someone else definitely would have. Everyone copies small bits from everyone, but its the end products which work and look completely different which is important. Imagine if only one company could manufacture clamshell laptops, or only one company could make tv's.......
anonymous 20 February, 2012 08:57
"Imagine if only one company could manufacture clamshell laptops, or only one company could make tv's......."
Isn't Apple already suing Samsung for having a laptop-shaped laptop?
Apple have run out of innovation steam. They haven't come up with anything different for a couple of years, so it's natural they act like a small-minded petulant child and try to take everyone else's toys. Unfortunately, there seem to be many other like minded people who are smitten with Apple's blandness.
Bless 'em.