Apple Patents Drop Down Menu After 11 Years

Status
Not open for further replies.

shloader

Distinguished
Dec 24, 2001
92
0
18,580
"Would it really sue Microsoft and thousands of other software developers over using a similar feature?"

Well... If I were a bettin' man... in a heartbeat.

 
G

Guest

Guest
Does this mean Windows can no longer use dropdown? Less ca$h for Micro$oft? Bill Gates should anal-lease the patent !
 

davewolfgang

Distinguished
Aug 30, 2010
69
0
18,590
[citation][nom]bayagga[/nom]Does this mean Windows can no longer use dropdown? Less ca$h for Micro$oft? Bill Gates should anal-lease the patent ![/citation]

As long as the CODE isn't the same - it should get kicked out.
 

agnickolov

Distinguished
Aug 10, 2006
147
0
18,630
Sigh. This is not about drop-down menus -- it's about making them semi-transparent. I've yet to see this feature in Windows. So Microsoft has nothing to worry about yet.
 
G

Guest

Guest
so apple would get royalties from microsoft, mozilla, utorrent, avast, AMD, Sun, google, and just about everyone else that uses transparent dropdowns as part of their navigation process.

seems that these companies think the best way to survive these days is to A) not have any significant innovation and B) to lock out those who can innovate. In essence, playing "keep-away" from weaker people as if this was all taking place in high school.

It may now be time to come up with a new method of navigating programs that do not use semi transparent dropdowns.
 

joytech22

Distinguished
Jun 4, 2008
651
0
18,930
[citation][nom]agnickolov[/nom]Sigh. This is not about drop-down menus -- it's about making them semi-transparent. I've yet to see this feature in Windows. So Microsoft has nothing to worry about yet.[/citation]

I know that it isn't exactly a drop-down menu, but the Start menu in Windows 7 is semi-transparent :eek:
 

pocketdrummer

Distinguished
Dec 1, 2007
410
0
18,930
I used to think patents protected aspiring inventors, but now I see that it's just a tool for large corporations to use the judicial system against us. The patent system needs to be changed or abolished. It's only hindering progress.
 

davewolfgang

Distinguished
Aug 30, 2010
69
0
18,590
Good thing the Patent office wasn't like this back when the car was invented or the airplane. Can you imagine only ONE Car Company?? only ONE airplane maker?

Would they have tried to patent the "wing" (and the physics with it)?? So nobody else could use a wing for lift?
 

molo9000

Distinguished
Aug 14, 2010
243
0
18,830
[citation][nom]davewolfgang[/nom]Good thing the Patent office wasn't like this back when the car was invented or the airplane. Can you imagine only ONE Car Company?? only ONE airplane maker? Would they have tried to patent the "wing" (and the physics with it)?? So nobody else could use a wing for lift?[/citation]

How wrong you are...
The Wright brothers basically had a patent on controlled flight. Wonder why the wright brothers are only remembered for being the first to fly a plane and not for any subsequent innovations? It's because instead of further developing their machine, they fought patent wars.

The first cars were patented as well, but I don't know how that influenced car development.
 

Blessedman

Distinguished
May 29, 2001
257
0
18,930
This is getting obnoxious, soon every piece of software that can be written will have some sort of licensing fee involved in it. Sorry you can't use a flexgrid in this color without paying a royalty fee. My freeware app just turned into $49.99 app and full blown commercial apps that used to cost $200.00 now cost $2000.00. Can you imagine the stifling effect this would have caused on the Automotive industry in it's infancy?? Mercedes Benz rolling in the royalties on something as simple as having 4 wheels on any vehicle... There needs to be a single patent office for the world and it needs to be staffed by experts in every industry and majority approved by every country.
 

kingnoobe

Distinguished
Aug 20, 2008
360
0
18,930
Are you serious bless. You know what you would have, a patent system that takes 100 years per each patent. (Ok over-exgrated, but not by that much). The problem with the patent system today is pretty simple. They are simply understaffed, don't have people with general knowledge of pretty much anything (which that point I agree (with bless) I don't think they need experts though. Just people with general knowledge of the field their overlooking).

But heres the kicker who's gonna pay for it, we are. Then we complain when are taxes are high, then we bitch when people that leak out info saying it's wrong, then we bitch that nobody holds our goverment accountable. When we're supposed to be the ones that hold our goverment in check but can't get the info we should under "national security" then we bitch when we do get a bit of that info..

Summarized IT'S ALL BULL****
 

bobusboy

Distinguished
Jul 3, 2009
177
0
18,640
@ kingnoobe

You've illustrated the civilian paradox.

Now STFU, if patents take forever so be it, but this micro managing / micro patenting nonsense is just moronic at this point. Specially when its major corporations raking in millions of dollars per year.

Small organizations I can understand needing to protect them selves, but big organizations just rape the system and its getting silly at this point.
 
G

Guest

Guest
well microsoft did patent the page up and page down buttons on keyboards a while back...
 

Silmarunya

Distinguished
Nov 3, 2009
390
0
18,930
I'm not saying Europe's patent system is without flaws, but the American patent system seems really... pathetic.

I think we should try to get a global patent office that works according to rules written from scratch. First of all it would save companies loads of money, it would make it harder for foreign companies to make knock offs and new patent rules would give us the ability to get rid of the current, pre-high tech era rules.
 

will_chellam

Distinguished
Jun 5, 2007
93
0
18,590
Personally I think patents should only apply to completed articles that is to say you can only patent a device or a drug for example.

To be able to patent a transparent menu out of context is trivial and pointless, it has no meaning outside of the context of a finished piece of software or operating system in the same way that patenting the phenoxy-methyl compound has no use or purpose until you use it to create phenoxymethyl-penicillin. It's like patenting cog-wheels or cabling outside of the context of a functioning item.

With regards to things like menu transparency, icons, user interface, surely these things could fall under the same type of copyright as art and music - things that are an overt imitation/copy/rip-off should be clamped down on, however influence from prior artistry should be allowed.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.