So far the Apple and Samsung updates are just making me angry. I can't believe that you can patent pinch and zoom and double tap to zoom.<p>All this story is telling me is just how much the system needs to be reformed.
I've been following the live blogging from the San Jose Mercury News kindly posted by another HN participant:<p><a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4429940" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4429940</a><p>Direct link to the live blogging is<p><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_21356424/live-blog-verdict-apple-samsung-patent-trial" rel="nofollow">http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_21356424/live-blog-verdict-a...</a><p>"Jury finds on bounce back patent that Samsung infringed Apple on all the devices in play, smartphones and tabs"<p>"On the "pinch and zoom" patent, jury also finds Samsung infringed Apple patents on the menu of smartphones and tablets..with just a few exceptions."<p>"On tap and zoom, jury finds infringement for tap and zoom feature on most of the smartphones and tablets, although no on a few, such as Nexus S 4G...split this one up by various devices, but largely in favor of Apple"<p>"Jury also finds for Apple on charge Samsung "knew or should have known" it was inducing its telecommunications and electronics divisions to infringe"<p>"Apple blitzing Samsung so far, jury now finds infringed design of iPhone contours, etc."<p>"Some products of Samsung being spared the gallows, but not many so far"<p>"Jury finds Samsung infringed Apple graphical interface on iPhone....so much for those differences Samsung argued for"
A sad day for consumers everywhere, regardless of what technology they prefer. The continuing validity of patents such as "pinch to zoom on a phone" is disastrous for the industry and will just serve to make everyone's products worse.
Live coverage on The Verge: <a href="http://live.theverge.com/apple-samsung-verdict-live/" rel="nofollow">http://live.theverge.com/apple-samsung-verdict-live/</a>
Oh god, the comments are sad. Not HN's comments, the link's comments.<p><a href="http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=15520468#post15520468" rel="nofollow">http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=15520468#post15...</a>
Considering that Apple is a beloved American company and Samsung a relatively obscure Korean company, isn't anyone else skeptical that a jury strictly composed of US citizens can be truly impartial in this case?
If Apple is smart they'll donate their winnings (or pledge to donate them) to a universally laudable cause, like MSF. They don't need the money, this was never about the money, and this will underline the point.
I get the feeling whoever comes up with the best graphic / table of the verdict will get a lot of play. The live streams are really hard to follow on what is what.
I'm actually surprised of such a lopsided victory. I've been following this pretty close and felt like Apple has really overstepped their bounds.<p>Of course it won't matter. Samsung will keep this going for a while on appeal until they win and then Apple will appeal. I don't see a clear victory for either company for a long, long, time.