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W3C goes after Apple on HTML5 patenting

by Michael Grothaus Jul 11th 2011 at 7:00PM

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has put out a call for prior art request in hopes of invalidating patents Apple has applied for over the HTML5 standard. At issue are two patents Apple holds which describes how mobile apps can request sensitive material, according to ComputerWorld.

The W3C's issue with these patents is that, if Apple is allowed to hold them, HTML5 developers who use the technologies will need to pay royalties to Apple. The W3C says that those specific technologies are already part of the royalty-free HTML5 stack and thus encompasses web standards that can be used without paying royalties to any company.

As a member of the W3C, many feel Apple should provide a royalty free license for the patents in question -- something Apple has yet to do or even comment on. Until Apple does so, the W3C hopes to find examples of the technologies in Apple's patents that were in use before Apple patented them. Proof of pre-patent use would invalidate Apple's patents, thus allowing the technologies to be rolled into the HTML5 standard and be used royalty free.



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The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has put out a call for prior art request in hopes of invalidating patents Apple has applied for over...
 

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Stephane Beladaci

I could not think of a better article to shamelessly plug a few blog article I wrote last year about Apple's scams regarding Flash and HTML5:

Thoughts on Apple, Flash developer responds to Steve Jobs' Thoughts on Flash
http://www.applethoughts.org/blog/thoughts-on-apple-flash-developer-responds-to-steve-jobs-tho.html

Apple banned me from forums, scared of Adobe Flash on iPad and iPhone ?!
http://www.applethoughts.org/blog/apple-banned-me-from-forums-scared-of-adobe-flash-on-ipad-an.html

Screw you Apple, there will be a quarter billion Flash enabled smart phones by 2012!
http://www.applethoughts.org/blog/screw-you-apple-there-will-be-a-quarter-billion-flash-enable.html

December 19 2011 at 12:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric

Isn't Apple not using flash on iOS mostly because Flash can provide some "app" like functionality without having to go through the App Store where Apple gets its cut?

I think the excuses they use about it being closed, battery hog etc is all just reasons to support the real reason...

July 12 2011 at 11:29 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Eric's comment
Chris Marshall

Maybe Apple didn't use flash because.. Wait for it.. Going to keep this simple for you...

ADOBE HAD NO FULL MOBILE VERSION OF FLASH IN 2006 WHEN THE IPHONE LAUNCHED.

In fact it had no version suitable until the 10.1 version for android only a few months ago. Even now mobile flash is not good so it's no surprise that Apple dont want it.

July 12 2011 at 2:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Wonil Suh

This may sound strange, but Flash platform is more open than HTML5, did you know that?

July 11 2011 at 10:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Wonil Suh's comment
Rick Ludwig

Based on.....?

I love Flash, but there is no evidence to support your comment. Even if Apple succeeds in getting these patients, your comments still isn't true (even remotely).

Of course, you probably mean this as sarcasm and my sarcasm meter isn't tuned quite correctly late at night....

July 12 2011 at 12:10 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Rick Ludwig's comment
Wonil Suh

it is true, look it up - Adobe opened all of their specs and even codes to public.

July 12 2011 at 1:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down
beenyweenies

So when Steve Jobs said Flash was bad because it was proprietary and the world should adopt HTML5, he was only looking out for Apple's best interest? Shocking.

Just like when he said WebM is bad and the world should use h.264, which Apple also gets royalties for.

Given the string of Apple lawsuits, the only logical conclusion is that Apple wants to own the rights to everything, and sue liberally to get their cut of all the action.

July 11 2011 at 9:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to beenyweenies's comment
Rick Ludwig

Well... WebM IS bad.

And Flash IS largely proprietary (whereas HTML 5, largely, is not).

July 12 2011 at 12:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Rick Ludwig's comment
Wonil Suh

Every technology and specification about flash is completely open and public. The only thing that costs is the IDE (Flash authoring tool), very much like Apple charging for Final Cut Pro, which is a natural thing. Don't be fooled, Apple simply wants a big pie for itself, they advocated for HTML5 for their own gains, not for yours or the standard.

July 12 2011 at 9:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down
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