Multitouch Gesture Patents Could Prevent Standardization

ozmanjusri brings us a Wired report on Apple's efforts to patent the multitouch gestures used on their laptops, smartphones, and tablets. The article discusses concerns over how this could affect the standardization of certain gestures in developing multitouch technology. We've previously discussed the patent applications themselves. Quoting Wired: "If Apple's patent applications are successful, other manufacturers may have no choice but to implement multitouch gestures of their own. The upshot: You might pinch to zoom on your phone, swirl your finger around to zoom on your notebook, and triple-tap to zoom on the web-browsing remote control in your home theater. That's an outcome many in the industry would like to avoid. Synaptics, a company that by most estimates supplies 65 to 70 percent of the notebook industry with its touchpad technology, is working on its own set of universal touch gestures that it hopes will become a standard. These gestures include scrolling by making a circular motion, moving pictures or documents with a flip of the finger, and zooming in or out by making, yes, a pinching gesture."

Comments

More prevent innovation patents ....

[OldHawk777]

God Bless US one and all, they fyck themselves, they fyck US where we fall.
Eventually a patent on the conversation in a call will end this silly bullshit once and for all.

Silly, how we have gone in this new global corporate-socialist economy from capitalism/meritocracy by innovation to corporate-communism where normal human verbalizations, gestures, and movements are patented for profitable oppression of Citizens.

I guess, if they ever patent vocal commands/conversation ... we can sling shit to communicate, until it is patented and controlled by American Standard, Kohler ....

All present IPR Laws are abominations to justice and humanity, but in reality justice and humanity are not associated with institutions, governments, businesses, religions, sociopaths, and amoral people (like most politicians).

Always remember for totalitarian states, the law is the law, and for EU and US we are damn by transient legal interpretation not any transcended personal intention. The State Rules as the public drools stool.