Apple Is Accused of Violating Software Patent

outz writes "And it begins... Creative Technology, a maker of portable music players, has accused Apple Computer of violating a newly granted software patent covering the way users navigate music selections." From the NYT article: "Creative Technology, which is based in Singapore and has United States operations in Milpitas, Calif., said it would consider every option available to defend the patent, including possible legal action. Apple declined to comment on the patent. The patent, which the company calls the Zen Patent, covers Creative's interface for portable players, which allows users to select a song, album or track by navigating a succession of menus. The patent office awarded the patent on Aug. 9." We reported on the granting of the patent a few days ago.

Comments

In the word of the Black Eyed Peas...

[LegendOfLink]

Let's get retarded.

Evil Plan

[kaellinn18]

I have a patent pending regarding complaining about idiotic patents online. When this baby passes, you're all going to be screwed! Muahahaha.

Re:Remember when Patents were to create?

[Blue-Footed Boobie]

Well now, I think that is a geat idea!

*runs off to patent office*

Re:Bad Patent...

[mopslik]

What other ways are you going to navigate your music library if not by artist, album, or genre?

I organize my music collection based on the number of vowels in the second word of the group's name. If there is only one word, I take the total number of letters in the word (n) and add a number produced by the formula floor((n mod 3)/(n+1))+1. If the group's name is composed entirely of numbers, simple addition of each digit is performed -- if the result is 2 or more digits, the process is repeated until it's down to 1. Prince has his own unique category.

Really, I thought everyone did it this way.

Irony

[Attrition_cp]

Anyone else see the Irony in "Creative Technology" and this patent?

Nonsense

[Darth Daver]

So they have patented "navigating a succession of menus". No prior art there. I think the Zen patent should be for including a virus on an MP3 player.

Companies like this make me sick. I wouldn't accept a Creative MP3 player as a gift because they suck in comparison to Apple's offerings. If they sue Apple, I will never buy another Creative product again, and I do currently own a few of their sound cards and even an olde display adapter. Notice the "e" in olde. That's how old it is.

Re:Bad Patent...

[TripMaster Monkey]

a number produced by the formula floor((n mod 3)/(n+1))+1.

It seems we have a problem...as you can clearly see on my patent, I have prior claim to 'n mod 3'.

My attorneys will be in touch.

If this is a battle of lawyers

[noewun]

Then Creative should give up, now, while there's still something left. I know for a fact that Steve keeps his litigators locked in a barren back room and only feeds them every third day. Makes 'em mean. . .

Filing patent for "A method to clean one's anus"

[betelgeuse68]

I've patented this system, you rollup soft paper on a cardboard cylinder thereby allowing its convenient dispensing when user has the need to clean up after defacating.

Yes, I think I will patent toilet paper.

Now /. users and the rest of humanity has to pay me to wipe their rear ends.

-M

Re:Prior Art?

[PhilHibbs]

Ah, but they aren't portable, so really it's totally different.

Re:Filing patent for "A method to clean one's anus

[AstroDan]

Yes, I think I will patent toilet paper.

Now /. users and the rest of humanity has to pay me to wipe their rear ends.

Then we'll all just start using the 3 sea shells!

Re:Remember when Patents were to create?

[Cornelius the Great]

"Maybe I should file a patent for delivering virus programs with a USB or other plug-in computer device ... then Creative would owe me money ..."

Great idea, except that Creative has prior art ;)

Re:What will Gandhi Say?

[StarvingSE]

Whats up with all the Gandhi stuff lately?? Has /. finally outsourced commenting on articles to India???

Re:It just won't end

[FullCircle]

Better start on a tiny C compiler first.

Re:What will Gandhi Say?

[RomanySaad]

I think Jesus held prior art to that idea long before Ghandi... Too bad he did not patent it.

Whoa... slow down!

[ezweave]

I've patented this system, you rollup soft paper on a cardboard cylinder thereby allowing its convenient dispensing when user has the need to clean up after defacating. Yes, I think I will patent toilet paper. Now /. users and the rest of humanity has to pay me to wipe their rear ends.

What is this toilet paper you speak of?

Re:iPod fanboys

[Philip K Dickhead]

I'm patenting tabs. Fucking tabs.

Not just any tab - that's been patented by some godless son-of-a-whore. I mean the specifics of an implementation for tabs at the top of a row of virtual document "panes". Tabs that contain a control for managing the tab state, and an iconic representation of the tab content and context.

Re:What will Gandhi Say? - get the quotee right

[stuuf]

... but Jesus didn't patent it when he said it.

Re:Yet Another Bullshit Patent Dispute

[milkman_matt]

it's bullet

Unless he was talking about biting Steve McQueen!