Apple granted patent for curved touch surfaces, could lead to curved-display iPhones

[9Nails]

Am I mistaken that the LG G Flex curved phone would be prior-art, making this patent invalid?

The LG Flex might not qualify as prior art because the curved surface is horizontal. Same with the Samsung Round, as that surface is vertically, but it's concave and not convex like Apple's design. Those subtleties seem to matter in a court, even if they are implicitly described in the patent.

 

[p51d007]

2 seconds after the patent was approved, they ran next door and filed a lawsuit against Samsung & LG for having curved screens LOL.

 

[Guest]

If Apple uses this to sue Samsung/LG I swear I will denounce all Apple products. They won't be getting a penny from me. As for why didn't Samsung/LG get a patent? Apple is an American company, Samsung/LG aren't, gee what's going on here? I swear our patent system is so messed up.

 

[Guest]

How can you patent something that is only an idea on paper . Patents should be given only if the idea on paper is working in real life

 

[dennis777]

Why patent a process? do car companies patent how build cars? their are secrets in building a car but I dont know of a car company that patent it.

 

[Spykezxp]

You cant really blame Apple for the patent on the process that they "might use". I'm not defending Apple or any other company. I'm simply stating that they are doing what they have to do to survive, just like ALL companies do. The US Patent office/system is the one that is riddled with flaws and needs to be changed. For them to allow some of the things to be patented in the last couple years makes me really wonder who is really in charge and what kind of changes need to be made.

 

[Skip Rennert]

One can only hope the patent office actually refines how it compares new applications with patents already granted. I for one see no difference between this and the many common laminate processes that use molds, substrates and mechanical pressure.

A corporate policy of seeking suspect patents -to close legitimate innovators and alternative products out of a market - isn't very consumer friendly and is never sustainable over the long run.

 

[pmshah]

The whole patent granting process in US is royally fu***d up. A company should be required to submit a finished working product. Then only any patent used in that product my be granted a patent.

In this particular case since they have already been granted the patent they should be required to submit a working model within say 15/ 20 days failing which they should be barred from filing any patent applications in future !!!