Apple Patents Design of the MacBook Air

[house70]

I just patented the looks of a human being: one head, one trunk, 2 arms and 2 legs.
Whomever looks like that has to pay me royalties.
I heard that Jobs doesn't have to worry about it, though: one of his hands is permanently attached to your pocket.
/sarcasm

 

[daniel123244]

[citation][nom]icepick314[/nom]don't forget to put buttons below the trackpad...problem averted!!!!!!![/citation]
The one thing I wish for Apple to patent. I can't stand laptops that leave off the bottons. WHY??

 

[Guest]

Why not they patent the word Apple first. If they accomplish this first, people will surely stop complaining.

No one can patent designs. What is Apple thinking. Do they mean that when the car sits were first put inside the car, the next builder can't copy it and must place their sits on the roof.

Such simple minded people.

 

[Guest]

So they patented being thin?
Better talk to weight watchers then.

This is yet another example of the broken patent system.

 

[Darkerson]

Apple can patent the gestures of kissing my ass.

 

[jecastej]

Wow, the dispute is about a specific design/technology/use and not about the general "ultrabook or tablet" concept or invention. The patent dispute is about specific distinctive forms or style, technology and/or differences. Not about who invented the wheel.

 

[flclkun]

i would love to see major chip developers give apple the big final BUTTFUK of the year and pull support for them, Slowly letting them die off.

 

[walter87]

Seriously now, is Apple gonna start suing other laptop manufacturers for making their laptops slimmer now? Give me a break. This is definitely a sign of that in the making.

 

[wiyosaya]

Since this is a ubiquitous design, I am surprised that they were granted the patent. Perhaps anyone that they attempt to sue should challenge the validity of the patent.

 

[becherovka]

Wouldn't it be nice if apple upset all the hardware manufactures enough that no one would supply them parts.

 

[Elsapo]

How can you patent the next step in the natural evolution of laptops. Everyone knows that the trend is thinner and lighter.

 

[leandrodafontoura]

I hope this takes off and force manufacturers to produce keyboards that are non-black

 

[evo_7]

[citation][nom]malikxaxu[/nom]The Patent Law provides for the granting of design patents to any person who has invented any new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. A design patent protects only the appearance of the article and not its structural or utilitarian features. So... before anyone rants about this, I suggest you take a look at ALL the figures included in the patent; there are 42 which explicitely define the design monopoly granted to Apple.BTW I am not an APPLE FANBOY and do not onw any Apple products.[/citation]

Unfortunately while these issues were taken into consideration with HCT and a patent review panel even counseled in not ruling against HTC, HTC still was ruled against on a loose interpretation of some of the patent infringements. Design issues also have sparked the current problems for Samsung in Germany. So while an ultra-thin laptop may differ from a Macbook Air, a lawsuit could still be implemented strategically; imagine if all ultra thin laptops had halted sales because Apple brought a lawsuit. Even if the lawsuit failed eventually if timed around Christmas, it would severely hurt any company to have all of their ultra thins halted from sales during the months of November and december.

Again a theoretical but at the same time, a lawsuit can be simply employed as a convenient means to simply damage the sales of another company. Its not like I would put a possible lawsuit beneath Apple as a "weapon" to simply halt sales just to hurt competitors during lawsuits.

 

[TEAMSWITCHER]

I guess this puts a knife in the whole Ultrabook program. That's ok though, because PC manufacturers wouldn't have been able to make a profit. Apple's uni-body design is giving PC makers fits now. There simply isn't another great way to make a super thin design that's also super rigid. On the bright side, Apple only has another 12 years before the patent expires. So.....2023 should see some impressive Ultrabooks from the PC makers....I can't wait.....

 

[zak_the_great]

quote]Honestly, I never understood what's so "appealing" about MBs in general and MB Air in particular... it's just a boring white laptop. Asus VX series is WAY better looking.[/quote]

Looking at it from this angle, having a Patent on the MB air actually creats more innovation...

 

[zak_the_great]

[citation][nom]Elsapo[/nom]How can you patent the next step in the natural evolution of laptops. Everyone knows that the trend is thinner and lighter.[/citation]

They didn't until Apple showed them the trend...

 

[acadia11]

WTF?

 

[Elsapo]

[citation][nom]zak_the_great[/nom]They didn't until Apple showed them the trend...[/citation]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/237724/the_race_to_thin_a_look_back_at_the_incredible_shrinking_laptop.html

 

[11796pcs]

Why would you ever buy a MacBook Air? You might as well scream "come break my laptop" at the top of your lungs. Hope you don't get any dust caught in it, it'll take twice as long to clean as a normal laptop (which is saying something). And when the dust does get in its thermals will rise like the pancake griddle at Denny's and slowly bake everything to a crisp.

 

[law shay]

[citation][nom]jecastej[/nom]With respect of design I think every company should develop its own image and don't try to mimic others emerging designs. Arguing tablets or ultra-books have a default design is trying to ignore why we have a difference appearance and why it represents an advantage.[/citation]
So you mean if I were to produce an all-day-long-battery-fitted computing device, it should look different -- it should be thick, heavy or use a CRT (not an LCD) ?

 

[lhammerlhead]

wow, its so silly to patent the shape of a product, thats so selfish coming from apple, why dont someone patent a ball, and all soccer, basket, volley, and others producers have to pay for de shape, its so stupid. As if the shape of the mac book air is innovative, the innovation is in the design applied in how its built, not the exterior. Im an industrial designer, and im so upset for that stupidity coming from a company "masters in industrial design", so selfish. I used to love apple.

 

[cmg5217]

Next the'll try to patent the color white.

 

[kitsura]

Sony VAIO x505
That's about all that is needed to invalidate this patent... there is enough commonality in the two, and Sony's was in 2003/4 i believe

I hope Sony eats them alive..

 

[eddieroolz]

I sure hope they only patented the triangular cross section of the body. Because based on that image, 95% of laptops out there will be in violation...

 

[damianrobertjones]

No new Envy 13 for me then... EVER