Ouch! Apple dinged for $208.5 million in patent infringement case
As Mac Observer has pointed out, many of the Cover Flow and Time Machine concepts of showing files or album covers moving back and forth were in use by Apple in HyperCard stacks many years before Mirror Worlds received patents for the idea. Whether Apple will appeal the verdict or not is unknown at this time.
Apple was granted a patent for Cover Flow in April, 2010, which makes this ruling even more questionable. Mirror Worlds, LLC was disbanded in 2003 due to lack of sales of its software products.
Apple has not made any comments regarding the verdict or a possible appeal.
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You know that nice Cover Flow interface (above) that Apple uses on iDevices, in iTunes, and in Mac OS X? An East Texas Federal Court has...
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Does anyone actually use Cover Flow?
October 05 2010 at 10:23 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOn my iPhone, yes. It's a pretty easy way to switch between albums. Also, when I'm shuffling songs and it hits a song that I want to listen to the whole album, I'll turn my phone to landscape and select the album. I don't use coverflow on my mac though.
October 05 2010 at 5:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplySomeone needs to investigate this Texas court. This is really getting out of hand. Something smells really rotten here.
October 05 2010 at 6:14 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyGood thing Apple's appealing this--that court is the most plaintiff-friendly place in the country to file this kind of suit. And I don't believe it was mentioned that this man Gerlenter is famous for something else--being the victim of a Unabomber attack. I have to wonder if this wasn't partially a sympathy verdict. But the fact that Apple HAD patents granted for at least part of the alleged infringement seems like something they could definitely appeal.
October 04 2010 at 5:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNext thing they will do is go after walmary etc. for those big ass books that keep your cd's organized. Lol! Same thing as coverflow if you think about it. I need to find somebody to sue for some dumbass reason. Seems to be all the rage right now.
October 04 2010 at 1:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI smell an appeal. Apple would rather spend more than 208.5 million in court costs, lawyer fees, etc. than to lose this kind of case.
October 04 2010 at 11:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe guy who actually invented Apple's implementation definitely did get get "dime one"-he posted on his blog about it when Apple bought it from him.
October 04 2010 at 11:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyC'mon.. East Texas for Chrissake! Land of the spurious patent suit!!! Apple bought Cover Flow from somebody else in any case!
October 04 2010 at 11:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYou want to know the quickest way to get rich? This is one of them...
October 04 2010 at 11:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIsn't Windows 7 using something even more similar to the patent drawing that has been posted? Sorry I don't have the link to it.
Did MS pay this guy to use the patent? Did they pay this guy to sue Apple?
This ruling does seem odd, considering Apple purchased CoverFlow a few years back. Why aren't the plaintiffs going after the original developer? Oh yeah, because they're apparently greedy, gamed the system, and know that their target has deep pockets.
Apple shouldn't give this up without a fight.
I wouldn't think you'll have to wait long for one... it seems like finding prior art for this one would be insanely easy. Then again, who knows? Apple may find that it's cheaper to just pay the man.
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