" ...and thin-and-light design"

I didn't think it was possible to patent 'thin' or 'light'. So that means no one can make a tablet as light as Apple's or is it like a Merchant of Venice thing where Apple has to specify an exact weight which is patented. Or has Apple patented a range of weights.

Does the patent also specify the precise 'thinness' which Apple has patented.

Apple seems to be really going for it in terms of applying for patents, and they are getting them too. It's important, of course, for a company to protect their intellectual property, so I'm not against that principle. But, I can't help wondering what will happen when Apple gets so many patents, especially design patents, that the competition will have a really hard time bringing out their own tablets, without them looking awful or being impractical. Now, Apple is leading the pack with the iPad, but I hope they will not be the only company that can make great tablets. In this case, the raked corners sound plausible, but tapered edges and a slim design? Hmm. And how does a company who is trying to create a tablet (or a court) determine how close their design is to Apple's patent design. Furthermore, how does the US Patent and Trademark decide if a product can be granted a design patent. It seems that, currently, for technological products such as tablets and smart phones, we are in a terrible patent war and companies are aiming to get as much ammunition or defenses as possible. If this continues, it will really stifle competition and companies are going to have a really hard time trying to create new products that don't infringe on some patent owned by somebody else. I hope Microsoft with Surface, and Samsung with their Galaxy note or Tab, for example, can continue making tablets, and other companies too. In addition, a monopoly is not what the consumer wants probably, and competition creates better products and prices, right? I wonder what the future will hold.

Congratulations for another patent, Apple! Too bad you cannot enforce it.

The US patent system is so f**ked up it boggles the mind.

There is zero chance that Apple can successfully prosecute this patent against anyone, even though it is totally obvious to the most casual observer that the rest of the tech industry is blatantly copying the iPad, iPhone, and Mac designs on an ongoing basis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalogJack 

" ...and thin-and-light design"
I didn't think it was possible to patent 'thin' or 'light'. So that means no one can make a tablet as light as Apple's or is it like a Merchant of Venice thing where Apple has to specify an exact weight which is patented. Or has Apple patented a range of weights.
Does the patent also specify the precise 'thinness' which Apple has patented.

No, you cannot patent "thin and light". Nor has Apple been specific on size, weight or any other limiting measurement. Nor does Apple claim this to be the specific iPad2 design AFAIK. A cursory look at the images shows that it might exactly match the iPad2, but note that dotted lines are not part of the claims unless specified otherwise. They are simply there to aid in understanding the overall design, but not essential to or included in the design patent. Apple generally tries to be as non-specific as the patent office examiner will allow. I suspect that's why some of Apple's patents seem to take some time to reach approval, with quite a bit of communication (negotiation) going back and forth with the PTSO to determine what will pass and what won't.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalogJack 

" ...and thin-and-light design"
I didn't think it was possible to patent 'thin' or 'light'.

Those are AppleInsider's words. They are not in the patent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dolphin0611 

Apple seems to be really going for it in terms of applying for patents, and they are getting them too. It's important, of course, for a company to protect their intellectual property, so I'm not against that principle. But, I can't help wondering what will happen when Apple gets so many patents, especially design patents, that the competition will have a really hard time bringing out their own tablets, without them looking awful or being impractical. Now, Apple is leading the pack with the iPad, but I hope they will not be the only company that can make great tablets. In this case, the raked corners sound plausible, but tapered edges and a slim design? Hmm. And how does a company who is trying to create a tablet (or a court) determine how close their design is to Apple's patent design. Furthermore, how does the US Patent and Trademark decide if a product can be granted a design patent. It seems that, currently, for technological products such as tablets and smart phones, we are in a terrible patent war and companies are aiming to get as much ammunition or defenses as possible. If this continues, it will really stifle competition and companies are going to have a really hard time trying to create new products that don't infringe on some patent owned by somebody else. I hope Microsoft with Surface, and Samsung with their Galaxy note or Tab, for example, can continue making tablets, and other companies too. In addition, a monopoly is not what the consumer wants probably, and competition creates better products and prices, right? I wonder what the future will hold.

samsung has like 5000 patents per year, right behind IBM. apple is not the problem.

Patent tapered edges, aluminum back and thin and light design?  The patent system seems pretty far out of whack.