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Can Apple Patent the Pinch? Experts Say It's Possible

wired.com — "If Apple's patents are granted, the company could absolutely stop others from using similar technology,"... "They'd also be in an especially good position to stop others from including certain features. Apple could stop [their use] not only on mobile devices but also desktops."

Who dugg this? Made popular Feb 23, 2008

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  • coheedcollapse, on 02/23/2008, -6/+122I don't know how so many Digg users can like Apple so much and at the same time applaud open source, especially when they have a move like this in mind.

    In other news, the US patent system is crap. It hinders invention rather than helps it.
  • D4M4N, on 02/23/2008, -7/+87***** apple
    if they can patent the pinch i can patent doggy style
  • spudlyo, on 02/23/2008, -6/+83***** intellectual "property".
  • sockpuppets, on 02/23/2008, -6/+54Every time I drop the kids off at the pool I'll owe Apple a nickel.
  • Shreyasva, on 02/23/2008, -10/+46does microsoft know that its not patented yet
  • EntropyFan, on 02/23/2008, -6/+42Because they won't? How does that strike you?
    Apple is a for-profit company, just like MS. The difference is when Apple attempts to pull ***** like this, the faithful applaud and cheer and say what a fine thing it is.
    They then curse MS because they have any patents what so ever, and how evil that is.
    ***** hypocrites.
  • WikiEasy, on 02/23/2008, -4/+36Does this mean every time I pinch my girlfriend's nipples I gotta pay a penny to Apple?
  • liamvictor, on 02/23/2008, -3/+32A common set of interface gestures as commands would be better for everyone (execpt Apple) rather than learning a new "language" for each manufacturers' devices.
  • archer104, on 02/23/2008, -0/+27I'm not paying twice for sex!
  • Kazbaeden, on 02/23/2008, -2/+28I know this is tough for a lot of you to understand (seeing as that the iPhone is probably your first encouter with a multi-touch interface) but Apple did NOT invent multi-touch. The ideas and concepts used in the iPhone have been around for at least 26 yeasr. The touch panel on the iPhone is not even manufactured by Apple. They didn't invent the methods to multitouch, they didn't invent the techology, they didn't invent the gestures; they just implemented all of it.

    For a great overview of the history of multitouch, I suggest reading an article by Microsoft researcher Bill Buxton, "Multi-Touch Systems that I Have Known and Loved."

    http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html

    A choice piece of information: "1991: Digital Desk (Pierre Wellner, Rank Xerox EuroPARC, Cambridge) - Clearly demonstrated multi-touch concepts such as two finger scaling and translation of graphical objects, using either a **PINCHING GESTURE** (emphasis mine) or a finger from each hand, for example."

    So this gesture has been around for at least 17 years, and now Apple hopes to patent it? Prior art much?
  • trivialmaggot, on 02/23/2008, -2/+26intellectual property - if I think of it first, nobody else can think of it... EVER! it's all mine!
  • Dokument, on 02/23/2008, -2/+25Quick! somebody patent breathing
  • Jb611, on 02/23/2008, -3/+26That's why you're a tool.
  • SOS84, on 02/23/2008, -6/+29You gotta love Apple. All they do is steal other people's ideas, and market the as their own. The mouse, the GUI, the iPod and now the iPhone. All other people's ideas, all stolen by Apple. Now they want to patent other people's ideas. Let's hope that patent reform comes into play soon. Apple is worse than Microsoft by a mile. Now that is saying something.
  • DaffyDuck, on 02/23/2008, -1/+22Apple would rather their device become standard, rather than have the gestures become standard.
  • pyrates, on 02/23/2008, -17/+38This is like trying to patent the idea of the gui again. It won't work. It's usability.
  • JEAH, on 02/23/2008, -2/+22***** this and ***** Apple
  • LucasVB, on 02/23/2008, -2/+22Isn't this like patenting "moving your finger down to click"?
  • kidcodea, on 02/23/2008, -7/+27do we really need more reasons to hate delusional , own-belly-reality design nazi fags from apple?
  • FutureGuy, on 02/23/2008, -3/+23I am surprised its took 4 comments before someone bitched about MS. If this was MS trying to patent the pitch there would have been enough uproar to bring down the net, but its apple, hail oh might apple, here's my wallet, please take everything in it, bunch of losers.
  • stevenbao, on 02/23/2008, -6/+25I hope I'm not being a Microsoft fanboy, but Microsoft has done the multi-touch stuff before Apple has.
    Remember Surface? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY
  • fancyj, on 02/23/2008, -0/+17Come on.....You don't have a girlfriend.
  • DaffyDuck, on 02/23/2008, -1/+17Apple now owns Fingerworks. I believe that's who you are referring to.
  • dajernts, on 02/23/2008, -1/+17Your right. Apple is anything but open. What I can't understand is how spreading your fingers out and having the screen enlarge is considered incredible innovative. Doesn't sound incredible hard to do with multi-touch technology. In my opinion, that would be like patenting drag and drop. Is that patented...I don't know.
  • satanswetnipple, on 02/23/2008, -3/+19Only if her chest is a flat interface.
  • philodygmn, on 02/23/2008, -12/+27Why the hell can't they patent it and offer FREE, UNLIMITED LICENSES?! The idea of patents should really be to keep anyone else from trying to FREEZE YOU OUT of YOUR OWN inventions by _stealing_ them, or in the case of digital stuff, creating an incompatible alternative (like Microsoft).

    http://web.mac.com/dynamist/iWeb/dynamist/ideas/31 ...

    That also helps people interested in working with a technology to know who to go to, establishes credit (though NOT the _only_ source of it!!!).

  • gr00vy, on 02/23/2008, -0/+15I really, really hope the patent office wakes up and doesn't patent this. This is like patenting 4 digit codes as PIN numbers. Or baskets to hold groceries, or printing receipts on paper. The guiding principle is that it moves forward the art in such a way that the consumer ultimately benefits, not to blindly create monopolies that inhibit competition, or create whatever the opposite of benefits are to consumers. Patents are supposed to result in benefit to the citizens.
  • inactive, on 02/23/2008, -2/+17Apple sucks..this just promotes it more.
  • coheedcollapse, on 02/23/2008, -1/+16There's a difference between patenting things in their interest and patenting over-generalized ideas that are already implemented in hundred of other devices and were also used in other devices before Apple ever got the idea to put it in their stuff.
  • inactive, on 02/23/2008, -3/+17they should patent it, they are really good at pinching others tech and calling it their own.
    if they patent it, then they can sue microsoft and almost the whole of china :)
  • dubbleenerd, on 02/23/2008, -1/+14only if it allows you to zoom into her boob.
  • israelanderson, on 02/23/2008, -8/+21I guess you've been sleeping... ????????????
  • inactive, on 02/23/2008, -1/+14No, you gotta let them get a little grab, too.
  • sockpuppets, on 02/23/2008, -1/+11Whoooooosh
  • inactive, on 02/23/2008, -3/+12Gasp! Could it be because Apple is a company just concerned about profit? Like every other company? Apple fanboys' worlds everywhere are coming to an end!
  • inactive, on 02/23/2008, -0/+9 If this type of thing becomes more common the whole world of computing is going to be a horrible mess. Imagine if the steering wheel had been patented. Or the idea to use foot pedals to gas and brake.
  • dajernts, on 02/23/2008, -0/+8But then this would mean that someone could patent the slider bar technology as well.
  • TehDoctor, on 02/23/2008, -2/+10While I'm sure Apple will get the patent, I doubt it would hold up well provided you had enough lawyers. Besides the fact that there's prior art, like Jeffrey Han's FTIR work, once you have a multitouch interface, gestures like that are obvious, so if Apple sued someone for something as stupid as "touching the corners of a UI element and scaling it", the defender would at least have a chance, since patents don't cover techniques that would easily be developed independently by anyone in the field.
  • l800LEMMINGS, on 02/23/2008, -2/+10i was going to make a long post of why this is a bad idea but i'm going to shorten it by saying apple don't be a snobbish prick on a base idea
  • Evildudetx, on 02/23/2008, -0/+7Prior use can easily be proven, so Apple has no basis for even trying for a patent.
  • rotundo, on 02/23/2008, -1/+8Are they kidding? So Jeff Han demonstrated this years ago:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=RPwaUp4gepU

    ...including specifically the ability to resize and rotate pictures by bringing your fingers together and apart. But because Apple calls it "the pinch" they can patent it? If that gets through, the Patent Office needs to be completely tossed. Jeff Han had the first published use of this tech, and if anyone can patent it, it's him. If Apple patented it, Jeff would have to stop using his own tech! It's completely absurd.
  • Zalyster, on 02/24/2008, -0/+7They go out of their way to make it hard? No, you're just an idiot. Sorry.
  • JMSantos, on 02/23/2008, -3/+10I suggest everyone who understood the parent bury this comment. Everyone who didn't, should digg it up. We'll thereby create a good indicator to see how in tune with American idioms the Digg population is.

    "drop the kids off at the pool" has been adopted as a pseudo-slang for excreting solid waste, i.e. taking a *****. Another such pseudo-slang is "pinching a loaf" and variations thereof.

    When the parent was suggesting he'd have to pay Apple every time he "dropped the kids off at the pool," he was referencing the latter slang and thus "pinching."

    G'day!
  • Echomote, on 02/23/2008, -3/+10You pinch your kids when you drop them off at the pool?
  • sockpuppets, on 02/24/2008, -0/+6Whoooooosh
  • Sail3, on 08/04/2009, -0/+6This joke never gets old.
  • Gigs, on 02/23/2008, -0/+6You know you could send something to the case Examiner to take a look at the prior art you know of. But companies will always TRY to go for it anyways. The Examiner only has so much time to look for something, and it could literally be -anywhere-.
  • wonderchemist, on 02/23/2008, -4/+10Hey, if you can patent one click shopping, why not?
  • D3koy, on 02/23/2008, -1/+6I've been making that motion for years, just like just about every other person in the world. It's one thing to patent the technology, but the gestures too? *****.
  • mogebier, on 02/23/2008, -0/+5Apple can patent this:
    *flips Apple the middle finger*
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