AppleInsider Staff
Apple on Tuesday was awarded a patent for the iPad 2, protecting the second-generation tablet's iconic tapered edges and thin-and-light design.
The patent, granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, was filed for two months before the tablet was unveiled in 2011, and cites patent documents as far back as 1947.
Illustration of iPad 2's rear casing.
Apple's iPad 2 was somewhat of a departure from the original iPad, and boasted a thinner design, thinner side aluminum sidewalls and two cameras. Of particular interest to the patent filers were the raked corners, a variation of the comparably flat first-generation iPad which had corners and sides that ended abruptly at almost a right angle.
Illustration of iPad 2's sweeping corners.
Tuesday's patent comes one week after Apple was granted a patent covering the design of the original iPad in 2010.
Among the credited inventors are Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jony Ive and veteran designer Christopher Stringer, who was called upon during the Apple v. Samsung trial to describe the company's various tablet and smartphone designs.
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21 Comments
" ...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.
" ...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 name="Patrick_S" url="/t/153665/apple-wins-ipad-2-design-patent#post_2216975"]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] This all made me thing about car designs. Yesterday I parked next to a Nissan Murano then took a second look. It had a Kia badge on the back! It is astounding how many designs by other car companies Kia has blatantly copied it its rise to success and I've not read of any law suits, if I missed them please enlighten me. What is it with Korean companies?