One reson can be that apple don't have the same patent there.

In EU and in many countries, this kind of "software patents" like pinch-to-zoom cannot be patented.

Now, if the court ruling stands, soon there won't be pinch-to-zoom in any other smart phone than in iPhone. Steve Jobbs once said, gesture patents Apple never will license to anyone.

But the very quote you provided suggests Samsung's legal team did NOT present prior art:

"After we debated that first patent — what was prior art — because we had a hard time believing there was no prior art, that there wasn't something out there before Apple."

If Samsung's lawyers had done their jobs properly this juror would have categorically known there absolutely was 'something out there before Apple'.


As I understand it software can only be patented in the EU if it has a 'technical effect'. As an example, if you write some software that boosts a mobile phone signal then it is patentable because it has a 'technical effect', you can measure the signal strength and see it has been boosted. As you rightly say a feature like "pinch-to-zoom" would not be patentable.

I think that's a sensible position and I hope the EU will continue to avoid the dreadful mess we see in the US.

I also read the judge used to work for a law firm that represented Apple and even took equity in the company as part payment for their services. Does anybody know if that's right?

It's shocking that she should be allowed to oversee the case if it's true. It might make you wonder if she had an ulterior motive for denying Samsung's lawyers the opportunity of presenting so much of their evidence.

Oh, but Samsung did.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...witnesses.html

The biggest looser here are the consumers. I think it would be nice if the consumers created and organisation and took patents on the user. If anything, or anyone tried to limit the user experience the would pay billions to the organisation and the organisation could try to do things for people around the world. So many people having need basic things in the world.

Only in the US, so I'm not affected .

hi fellas , since this is an off topic thread ,i wanted to ask another off topic question.Though i might get some help from here .Could any one tell me about external hard disks ? today i was going to buy a terabyte external hard disk .For now i am planning to buy a samsung one .Could any one suggest me if there is even better than samsung or how better this samsung external hard drive works ? thanks in advance !

Dude don't Jack the thread.
Make a new one. OR post in a relevant one.

Pretty much all external HDDs are the same.
Look for reviews on PC tech sites if you arent sure.

Back on topic, having the consumer pay for individual parents it's nonsense. Either the USPTO needs a major review (which ain't gonna happen). Or Samsung needs to strike back by invalidating the claims in the form of a mistrial.

The $1B isn't an issue. In fact even $4B isn't an issue.
The issue is that Apple can now ban and make injunctions automatically for every Android device.... that'll hurt them where it hurts. And afterwards they can make bullsh't claims and steal their profits.

So yeah its a mess, and Americans are stupid enough not to do anything. about it (see Telecommunications contracts for proof).

PS Samsung contributes more money into USAs economy than Apple, and they don't make as much profits as them either. So you decide which company is more "American".

I agree, there have been discussions regarding Apple's patent predation and their lack of charity.
This rather succinct article touches on both traits...

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democ.../08/steve-jobs