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Apple patent controversy: patent diagrams look a lot like existing apps
Apple's got an interesting new patent application for a location-based suggestion system to be used in travel apps. There's nothing too controversial about the idea, but the patent diagrams have third-party iPhone developers taking notice because they look an awful lot like existing apps. Drawings in the patent closely resemble Where To?, GuideYou Amsterdam and an official Ralph Lauren app. Dan Wineman caught the similarities on his blog, and the story was picked up by TechCrunch and others. Should developers be worried that Apple is going to patent their apps and put them out of business? Probably not. Apple's patent is for the very general purpose of "integrating travel services in a single application available to a portable electronic device." Whatever they're planning is probably a lot bigger than any of these individual apps, and won't end up looking like any of them.
I'd actually be excited if Apple came out with a full-service travel app like the one described, that could be used for "reserving a travel itinerary, checking-in remotely for a reservation, providing airport information, providing for social networking, obtaining dining or entertainment during travel, controlling and requesting cabin services, providing arrival notifications to third parties, providing destination location information, and the like." That's a little more than just finding relevant location-based suggestion while you travel.
Comments
4
Subscribe to commentsJamesAug 7th 2010 10:20AM
Aaaand software patents *remain* a terrible, terrible idea that never should have gained traction in the first place.
GreeenAug 7th 2010 11:49AM
well, sounds to me like Apple will have a tough time getting such a patent granted, since there doesn't seem to be a inventiveness here. So let them file, it won't do them any good. Probably just shows that they no clue themselves and that is more worrying.
grmcgeeAug 7th 2010 3:19PM
I'm going to patent a high level "method for integrating order processing, manufacturing operations, and financial management", then I will have the option to put Oracle and SAP out of business. Hah. High level and general software patents have caused more confusion and stifled more innovation than they are worth. And what about prior art? There are many, many apps that already do exactly what Apple's patent application claims. Apple's application should be denied.
urfAug 7th 2010 5:08PM
The app shown in the description of that patent is an illustration. They're not patenting the app idea, they're showing how that particular app (which is free publicity for the app makers basically) could use what they're introducing... which is just basically new types of notifications.
It's crazy that you don't even check what the patent is talking about before writing about it. It's like saying that Apple is getting a patent on bikes just because a bike shows up in an illustration part of the submitted patent description...