Apple has been served a lawsuit for allegedly infringing on patents with the iPhone's graphics technology. Also, the company has started delivering unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro systems to early buyers.
Mobile software developer Picsel Technologies has sued Apple this week in a Delaware federal district court under the belief that the graphics renderer in the iPhone and iPod touch treads on multiple patents.
By using particular techniques to speed up panning and zooming for images and other documents, Apple is effectively borrowing Picsel's own acceleration to make the iPhone work as smoothly as it does, the complaint reads.
Unlike many of these suits, the plaintiff already has major customers for its software that primarily include Japanese firms like KDDI and Sharp but also include American phone manufacturers such as Motorola and Palm. It's unclear whether these existing relationships also involve the specific technology used by Apple.
If successful in court, Picsel would tie the claimed damages to the number of iPhones already sold and would look to triple the amount as a punitive measure.
Unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro now shipping
Readers have told AppleInsider that their orders for the redesigned 17-inch MacBook Pro have started shipping as of Friday.
First launched in January at Macworld, the system first showed signs of delay when some customers were told their orders would likely slip into March despite promises it would ship in late January. Early this month, the company let many of these buyers know that their orders wouldn't ship for about two weeks due to problems "wrapping up" production.
What triggered the delay is unknown, though the 17-inch MacBook Pro is considered a technology vehicle for Apple. It includes a new, sealed battery that reportedly lasts 8 hours on a charge and also upgrades the display with a 60 percent wider color gamut helpful in visual editing.
70 Comments
I see another frivolous lawsuit against Apple.....
The 17" MBP shipping...Finally! Now certain people can stop bitching about their order. See...good things come to those who wait!
I see another frivolous lawsuit against Apple.....
The 17" MBP shipping...Finally! Now certain people can stop bitching about their order. See...good things come to those who wait!
How do you know it's frivolous?
"Ships in 3 to 4 weeks", both Apple.com and on the Irish store.
I see another frivolous lawsuit against Apple.....
It seems a little premature to call this suit "frivolous." From this limited report, it sounds like this is a company that made some innovations and is actively implementing and marketing them. Now, I know nothing about the details of the alleged infringement (and neither does anybody else who has this report as their only source of information) but this does not sound like some non-productive patent-hoarding innovation-parasite lawsuit.
Unless you believe that all technology patents should be invalidated. But I don't think that fans of Apple are hoping for that!
This delay on the 17 inch MacBook Pro is exactly why Apple doesn't want to be pressured to release products on a predetermined day (ex. MacWorld), rather than one of their own choosing. Hence, their withdrawal from all the Mac conferences around the world.