Apple Told Google Not To Use Multi-touch in Android

http://venturebeat.com/2009/02/09/a...e-multi-touch-in-android-and-google-complied/

So Apple told Google not to use multi-touch gestures in its Google Android phone and Google listened to them. The phone is capable of multitouch gestures, but Apple told Google not to use it to protect the iPhone.

Is Apple out of line? Are they Microsoft Jr.? Is Apple replaying the patenting of a GUI OS from the 1980s?

Apple is stifling innovation with these anti-competitive practices.

 

It's not so much "Apple told them not to" and Google rolled over, it's a case that Apple has a patent for it, and Google would be infringing it by using multi-touch without paying Apple royalties.

The patent may be invalid, but Microsoft is more likely to take up that expensive fight because they are moving towards touch technology, with multi touch being essential to their future.

Why would Google take Apple on for a feature that isn't essential yet, when Microsoft will pick up that particular grenade soon?

 

I've been dying to see if Apple attacks Microsoft since they got that patent passed. It'll be interesting because I know for a fact Microsoft has a hell of a lot more patents then apple with touch technology.

 

Yeah but who would want to steal Microsoft ideas XD

See Apple has all these patent because they where the first ones to think of it, Apple has had a lot of first in the computer idestrey, and all these other company's copy them, they really need to start getting there own creativity.

 

You mean just like they invented mp3 players and the scroll wheel, right? (Because they did neither of those, they just marketed them better)

 

First of all, it's a rumor.

Secondly, Apple does not have a patent on multi-touch. They have patents on certain applications of it, but the idea is not patented, and I doubt it is even patentable at this point.

 

Did I say they did?

 

What he said. They may have been the first to do it well, but they certainly don't own the idea, I'm pretty sure multi-touch tech has been around for a while.

 

why am i not surprised that pacmandelight posted this...???Don't you have anything useful to do???


Anyways,imagine this-you are XXX company and you invested a lot of money in YYY project.Would you like to some ZZZ company just to "copy" your idea and make something similar but saving tons of $$$ on "imagination" part?

 

Not directly, but you implied it by saying

Though you said MS, it could easily be transferred to any other company. So they (Apple) don't necessarily invent the technology, they just show it off/market it better, thus making the technology more mainstream.