Samsung: Android's Multitouch Not As Good As Apple's

itwbennett writes "Hoping to avoid a sales ban in the Netherlands, Samsung has said that Android's multitouch software doesn't work as well as Apple's. Samsung lawyer Bas Berghuis van Woortman said that while Apple's technology is a 'very nice invention,' the Android system is harder for developers to use. Arguing the bizarre counterpoint, Apple's lawyer Theo Blomme told judge Peter Blok, that the Android multitouch isn't inferior and does so infringe on Apple's patent: 'They suggest that they have a lesser solution, but that is simply not true,' said Blomme."

Comments

Patents. Copyrights.

[udachny]

This is ridiculous, isn't it? A patent system, that gov't introduces supposedly to encourage more innovation and invention is now being routed around because of the damage that it is causing.

It's damage that gov't involvement in the market is causing with all laws and this case is a good example even to the most staunch defenders of government intervention that it is damaging the clients, the end users, the consumers, because it can prevent you from having more choices (and thus from lower prices).

As always it is with all gov't regulations, laws, the actual effect is the exact opposite of the supposedly desired one, and it's always negative for the people.

Re:Patents. Copyrights.

[ukemike]

As always it is with all gov't regulations, laws, the actual effect is the exact opposite of the supposedly desired one, and it's always negative for the people.

If you though about it for just a moment instead of just spouting a talking point you'd realize that you are being silly. By your statement above the government ban on murder actually encourages murder and is somehow bad for the people. There are thousands of regulations that have exactly the effect they were intended to have.
The OSHA and EPA regulations regarding asbestos result in a condition where the overwhelming majority of asbestos installed in buildings is handled in a much safer manner than it was prior to the institution of the regulations, and the beneficiaries are, well, construction workers, the public, tenants, and nearly everyone else.
The Glass-Stegal Act prevented banks that held deposits from investing those deposits in speculative investments and prevented run away banking stupidity for decades. That stupidity returned to the point where it plunged us into another depression within 15 years of the repeal of Glass-Stegal.
The requirement that car drivers carry liability insurance means that in the overwhelming number of cases people are compensated when you make a stupid driving mistake AND you don't go bankrupt in the process! Nearly everybody wins (especially the insurance companies.)
Perhaps you should reconsider your use of words like "always" and "never" it always makes you wrong never helps your argument.

Re:As good a time as any other

[tgibbs]

I guess that would be relevant if Apple's design patent were just for "grid of colorful icons."

But it isn't.

Re:Horrible, or brilliant marketing?

[dzfoo]

Not quite true. Apple is claiming that Samsung's solution for multitouch works in much the same way as theirs. They are not saying that the overall product equals in quality. They are not even claiming that the multitouch solution is equal in quality; just that the solution to the problem is similar.

Method and quality similarity are not equivalent. The one doesn't necessarily leads to the other.