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Apple's New Patent Weapon — Location Services

Posted by Soulskill on from the uspto-is-the-best-comedy-club dept.

DaveyJJ writes "Once again, it seems Apple is about to take intellectual property claims to a new level. Apple has been reissued a patent they acquired from Xerox that pretty much wraps up what we know as 'location services' as their own. In the overview, the patent says the system involved will display information specific to the location the device is in. The language used in the patent is broad and powerful. I guess now we wait and see whom Apple will use this against?"

9 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. You are here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Alas, no longer can roadside maps or sextants be used.

    1. Re:You are here... by GameboyRMH · · Score: 5, Funny

      Avert your eyes from the stars, matey, ye be violatin' Apple's patents!

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    2. Re:You are here... by kelemvor4 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Simple, the transmission of distributed information is the distribution of maps and sextants from the publisher/manufacturer, and the info retreival is done on the user's end by looking at the map or through the sextant.

      I know, I know, but this is ON A COMPYUTAR!

      Not just any compyutar, one with rounded corners.

    3. Re:You are here... by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

      A movie prop is not prophetic enablement.

      How about birds, who have been found to follow magnetic field of the Earth for migration?

      Apple has been granted an injunction against all migrating bird species - prepare for Really Angry Birds

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  2. Nice Things by Manfre · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is why we can't have nice things.

    The patent office and laws are at best dysfunctional.

    1. Re:Nice Things by Anubis+IV · · Score: 5, Funny

      This is why we can't have nice things.

      You're confused. You can have Apple's nice things. Please report to your nearest iReprogramming Center immediately. The Geniuses there will help you.

    2. Re:Nice Things by ICLKennyG · · Score: 5, Funny

      Your Android phone was made in 1998?! Awesome. Do you have the Mr. Fusion mod for your Delorian or are you still stealing plutonium from the Libyans?

  3. Hand in your eyeballs by GiantRobotMonster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hand in your eyeballs - they can be used to acquire information specific to the location the eyeballs are in.

    You wouldn't steal a car -- violating someone else's laughable intellectual property is theft!

  4. Steve would have never done that by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Man, that company has really went downhill.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.