Ultrabooks may have problems with Apple's MacBook Air patent

[garyopa]

As Apple has recently been granted a 'patent' that makes slim wedge-like cases their own design!



A wave of patent infringement litigations against the Ultrabooks could be imminent.

Walking of thin ice has its consequences, if you don't believe it, ask all the companies that intentionally or not, have used the MacBook Air design as its Ultrabook shapes.

Apple possesses the patent of it and it is very severe. A wave of litigations could start any moment now.

Look at what The Verge said:

It's been pretty easy to look at recent Apple design patents and see that they haven't carried with them the broad patent coverage many might think, but that isn't the case with Apple's new US patent — D661,296 — that issued on Tuesday. While a recent patent rumored to be on the Macbook Air design turned out to be a dud, covering only the bottom feet of the device, the 'D296 patent is much different. This patent is clearly intended to broadly cover the distinctive wedge or teardrop profile of the notebook.

While there are certainly going to be some noticeable differences between Apple's design and other notebooks in the market, let's not forget how aggressively Apple has used its design patents against competitors in the smartphone and tablet space. And given just how much we're starting to see this wedge look in ultrabooks like HP's Envy Spectre and the Asus Zenbook we certainly wouldn't be surprised if Apple decided to wave its new patent around a bit. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

NEWS SOURCE #1: Apple design patent Macbook Air Wedge Ultrabook (via) TheVerge
NEWS SOURCE #2: Assets #USD661296S1.pdf (via) SB Nation

Our thanks to 'Kaos2K' for this news item!

[DEDDOA]

If it's not a new novel approach and just somthing that is a natural progression or a design used prior to thier filing for a patent, or a very very very slim possibility that it's what thir product is known for (which it isn't) then I suspect it will go nowhere. When I used to work at the UKIPO it was always said that the US would let you have patents for things that wouldn't even be considered in the uk or EPO this looks like one of them.

[tech3475]

If it's not a new novel approach and just somthing that is a natural progression or a design used prior to thier filing for a patent, or a very very very slim possibility that it's what thir product is known for (which it isn't) then I suspect it will go nowhere. When I used to work at the UKIPO it was always said that the US would let you have patents for things that wouldn't even be considered in the uk or EPO this looks like one of them.

I just looked up the meaning of the work "patent" and I'm struggling to see an invention here, more like the design specifications for an engineer to follow which may include something that can be patented/copyrighted.

One day I should file for a patent for a substance involving the chemical combination of 1 part hydrogen and 2 parts oxygen atoms just to see if it's granted.

[garyopa]

One day I should file for a patent for a substance involving the chemical combination of 1 part hydrogen and 2 parts oxygen atoms just to see if it's granted.

Most likely it would be. -- That would make you the richest man in the world. -- I will fight back by filing one on my new invention called AIR: which will be about 78% Nitrogen, about 20% oxygen, 0.03% Carbon Dioxide, 0.93% Argon and Water Vapour -- All tho I have to work out a cross-patent license agreement for the 'water vapour' part that you have rights to!

[DEDDOA]

It can offten get confused as there are design patents, but it's only usually applicable when the design is novel, a kind of design that the company is known by such as coke or pepsi bottles and then that can also come under a trademark, or if it's design is a new funtion or part of one or a new way off approaching a function. In this case I suspect there would have to be a lot more to it than the wedge case as that is nothing new and if anything is a natural progression from flat, to tilt stands etc. their are a good amny keyboards that use this approach so in practicall use that in it's self is similar. It all gets pretty convoluted and many companies will file for patents on these thing even if they are not novel just incase they are, tho I wouldn't be suprised if this has been patented before, in which case it would be down to whoever filed it first should they want to claim it in the same countries (so long as it hasn't been shown to the public or as it's refered to "published" you could technically apply for a patent on anything that has already been applied for a patent in otehr countries tho before the patent journals publish it themselves, and keep the patent so long as the original patantee doesn't want to extend the patent to your country).