Apple and Android get together as well as a lion in a cage with a gazelle. At times, it seems if it was up to Apple, Android could go and jump off a cliff. With the numerous battles back and forth over various patent disputes, I’m sure Google wouldn’t feel too bad about the same for Apple. Thanks to Tmonews, they put together a list of the main patents that are causing friction between the two tech giants.
Here’s the top 10 patents that have been claimed to be infringed upon:
- U.S. Design Patent No. D 618,677: Essentially, a patent for an electronic device and related to the iPhone’s design.
- U.S. Design Patent No. D 504,889: A patent, again, for an electronic device, this one relating to the design of the iPad. Has caused many issues for Samsung in regards to their line of Galaxy Tabs.
- U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647: Described as a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data.” This is one of the patents that recently got the HTC EVO 4G LTE and HTC One X held up in customs for a few weeks and delayed their launch.
- U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604: For the “universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system.” Is related to Siri and its unified search. One of the patents that has the Galaxy Nexus currently under fire.
- EP1964022: A European patent that has to do with “unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image.” The other patent that relates to the supposed infringement of the Galaxy Nexus.
- U.S. Patent No. 8,074,172: Relating to a “method, system, and graphical user interface for providing word recommendations.” Very generic, as with many of these patents, but to do with auto-correct.
- EP2059868: Another European patent that covers a “portable electronic device for photo management.” Think of a photo gallery on your phone and being able to “flip” the page.
- U.S. Patent No. 7,469,381: “List scrolling and document translation, scaling and rotation on a touch-screen display.” Basically, when you go to check email, pull to refresh, and the list bounces back, that’s this patent.
- U.S. Patent No. 8,046,721: Pretty much the same as the other unlock patent which, again, is causing issues for Samsung.
- U.S. Patent No. 6,370,566: This covers “generating meeting requests and group scheduling from a mobile device.” Owned by Microsoft and what won an import ban on all Motorola Android devices back in May which has the two companies still in legal battles.
If only we could all get along. Sadly, as long as the patent system remains in the shape it is, these patent disputes will only continue.