Apple receives patent for original Apple iPad design; it's one more arrow in the quiver

posted by Alan F. / Oct 17, 2012, 2:43 PM

Apple receives patent for original Apple iPad design; it's one more arrow in the quiver

Late Steve Jobs introduces the OG Apple iPad

The day before Steve Jobs stood on stage and introduced the Apple iPad, the Cupertino based firm filed an application with the USPTO for a patent on the design of the device. The company has finally received the patent, which is credited to Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive among others. One of the references for the tablet's design is a patent that dates back to 1947.

The good news for Apple is that it gives their attorneys another piece of paper that could be used in any of the cases involving a claim by Apple that a rival's tablet looks too much like Apple's device. The patent doesn't deal with any of the tablet's innards, but covers "The ornamental design for a portable display device, as shown and described." For those who keep track of such things, Apple received patent D669,069.

source: USPTO via Engadget

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39 Comments

1. Hammerfest

Posts: 384; Member since: May 12, 2012

USPTO: proving once again, money reigns supreme... along with stupidity, cant forget stupidity!

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 2:45 PM 28

2. sena7

Posts: 29; Member since: Jul 12, 2012

speaking purely objectively, those two statements are decidedly opposite to today's capitalistic world.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 2:51 PM 0

9. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

Oh let them keep their napkin design; we don't want that horiiD bulky iBrick anyway!

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:11 PM 15

24. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Actually protection of one's property reigns supreme.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 7:12 PM 2

38. medicci37

Posts: 1361; Member since: Nov 19, 2011

Well Mxyzptlk, I don't think you have 2 worry about anybody wanting to steal your intellectual property.Even Apple isn't that desperate :-)

posted on Oct 18, 2012, 10:04 AM 2

33. Mittal

Posts: 494; Member since: Dec 14, 2011

We have a dearh of Apple fanboys here :O The discussions always tilt in favour of Android We need more iFans to spice up the discussions (ME - I prefer Android in the overall picture)

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 10:03 PM 2

3. TROLL

Posts: 4851; Member since: Apr 13, 2012

Who cares, I'm happy they didn't patent edge2edge rearflat candybar looking phones like the Sharp Aquos!

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 2:51 PM 0

16. theBankRobber

Posts: 682; Member since: Sep 22, 2011

What's wrong with that? Its better to have something to protect yourself from a company like Apple instead of suing everyone over something so generic.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:52 PM 1

4. ibap

Posts: 865; Member since: Sep 09, 2009

So is my black leather folder that holds a pad of paper and a pen in danger too?

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 2:59 PM 8

7. andro.

Posts: 1999; Member since: Sep 16, 2011

Perhaps if it has a clear plastic window panel on it allowing you to see the internals then yes the folder manufacturer could quite obviously had the sheer cheek to copy apples beloved generic black rectangle design

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:02 PM 3

5. andro.

Posts: 1999; Member since: Sep 16, 2011

More stupidity again,its pretty much certain the patent means anything "rectangular and black" and nearing 9.7 inches in size is a copy of the ipad.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 2:59 PM 14

10. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

Is it really 9.7 inches?

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:13 PM 1

6. ibap

Posts: 865; Member since: Sep 09, 2009

Was Microsoft aware of this and that is why the Surface has such an odd form factor?

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:00 PM 1

12. Aeires unregistered

And Xoom.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:26 PM 1

8. roldefol

Posts: 4744; Member since: Jan 28, 2011

If you get bored, check out some of the other design patents Apple references in this one. Everything from a woman's compact to the LG EnV.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:03 PM 1

11. schelle

Posts: 4; Member since: Oct 17, 2012

What's next ? A patent of the Weel !!! Stuped m...

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:22 PM 3

13. Aeires unregistered

Thank God the automotive industry doesn't work this way, if it did we'd all be driving Edsel's.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:27 PM 11

26. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Apple isn't putting a gun to everyone's head and forcing them to buy their products. They are only protecting their own inventions. They aren't stopping competitors from coming out with their own devices as long as they don't copy their designs.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 7:15 PM 1

30. BrockSamson

Posts: 8; Member since: Sep 26, 2012

Except that it isn't their invention and are they aren't doing this to protect themselves...

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 8:46 PM 4

39. No_Nonsense unregistered

So according to you, we didn't have rectangular phones/tablets before the iPad, pinch to zoom, rounded corners, etc on a phone before Apple's iPhone (and iPad).

posted on Oct 18, 2012, 10:05 PM 0

14. schelle

Posts: 4; Member since: Oct 17, 2012

Apple have had their glory moment, take it like a man and realize that you no longer are the best. And let other evolve and earn money in an honest way !!!

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:44 PM 4

15. DOGIEFRESH

Posts: 316; Member since: Jul 15, 2009

If this happen to be to other way around like SGSIII patent granted for 4.7 inch plastic design Fandroids will be cheering like world series parade and call it the most fair thing ever in US trade history....!!!

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 3:47 PM 3

17. roldefol

Posts: 4744; Member since: Jan 28, 2011

People are so quick to jump down Apple's throat not because they filed for or were granted design patents, but because they're trying to litigate them. Every device maker has a right to patent his design, but Apple is the only one who used a very simple design patent to try to force a main competitor completely out of "its" market.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 4:01 PM 9

18. CDGMobile

Posts: 29; Member since: Sep 26, 2012

We all know that every company files patents but the problem with Apple is that it is the first to sue for the infringement of intellectual property, even though they themselves do the same, well just have to wait to see if Apple can just not sue anyone over this particular patent. Personally I'm hoping they prove me wrong and stay out of court

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 4:12 PM 3

28. someones4

Posts: 627; Member since: Sep 16, 2012

I agree. Too bad, knowing that a monopolistic company such as apple will always enforce the rules. No matter. I'm very sure many companies can come up with a better design than the iPad.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 7:20 PM 2

19. som

Posts: 768; Member since: Nov 10, 2009

US Patents just wanted your money, they didn't care if it is a none working products. Your money can buy a patent on anything and ideas. This Patent Laws are useless in actually life only to stall new technology and innovative.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 4:49 PM 1

36. CDGMobile

Posts: 29; Member since: Sep 26, 2012

This is very true Som, the patent laws are made just to fund useless parts of companies, and the legal system. That money should be redirected into the R and D departments, if people actually focused on making new products instead of saying hey you copied me we'd be way farther as a culture

posted on Oct 18, 2012, 8:13 AM 0

20. Bluesky02

Posts: 1439; Member since: Dec 05, 2011

The good news for Apple - They received the patents The bad news for competitions - Apple will rampage with lawsuits

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 5:23 PM 2

21. sprockkets

Posts: 1612; Member since: Jan 16, 2012

I don't see this as bad news. The patent should be exactly the ipad design, not the bull s**t one that is so generic that everyone is being sued with. No round home button? No same speaker placement or connector? Done, not infringed.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 5:50 PM 2

22. flamencoguy

Posts: 107; Member since: Aug 04, 2012

It is a very unfair world. Motorola, Samsung and Nokia does all the hard work to come up with the real inventions to allow phones to work with 3G, 4G LTE and other real scientific discoveries. But because they are part of a standard they are deemed to be FRAND patents and get very little royalties for them. Also they are obligated to license them to virtually any one. By contrast Apple's patents are gimicky,simple, obvious and used mainly to ward off competition. Fact: Apple receive 676 patents in 2011 Samsung over 4000 just behind IBM. Apple received 4100 patents in the previous 10 years average 410 a year. I bet most of them are about as substantial as the "slide to unload' and "rubber band effect" ones. To Apple fans: we don't hate Apple just because we are envious. It is because they are sly and slippery. They used "reality distortion field" developed by Steve Jobs.

posted on Oct 17, 2012, 6:18 PM 3

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