Main Area and Open Discussion > General Software Discussion
Apple Patents the OS X Dock!!!
Dirhael:
You're on fire, George! That was a fast response! You're right, though, I'm sure Apple's lawyers wouldn't even break a sweat drafting their arguments in a case like this. I have to say, though, that I can't really see what or how they are losing by having the dock replicated on other platforms. Next they'll be going after the Expose clones and the widget clones (not that they invented them but I'll bet they've got a patent application in). Of course, I'm getting ahead of myself again - they haven't done anything, yet and I hope they don't.
I hope Apple doesn't go after the other dock apps but given Apple's attitude and sue-happy legal history, I'm almost sure they will :(
Software patents are evil.
-MrCrispy (October 08, 2008, 03:17 PM)
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I hope you're wrong about Apple... if you are not, I think that going after small developers is petty.
-Darwin (October 08, 2008, 03:55 PM)
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They already did this with Y'z Dock way back when.
-Dirhael (October 08, 2008, 03:59 PM)
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Oh crap!
-Darwin (October 08, 2008, 04:00 PM)
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It's interesting that they actually were granted the patent when you consider the fact that Stardock have been making docks since 1994, years before Apple implemented their version.
wreckedcarzz:
Just another reason to hate Apple, and OSX.
*Launches OD Plus, RD, and CD*
Bring it on!
Edvard:
It's interesting that they actually were granted the patent when you consider the fact that Stardock have been making docks since 1994, years before Apple implemented their version.
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Yes, and RiscOS and NextStep were doing it even before that: http://www.osnews.com/story/18941/pt_VI_the_Dock
But did any of them have the zoomy icon function? IIRC, ObjectDock was capable, but I don't know if it did it by default.
If you read the patent, it becomes obvious that what they patented is the squirmy zoom function:
To permit a greater number of items to reside in the userbar, a magnification function can be provided which magnifies items within the userbar when they are proximate the cursor associated with the graphical user interface.
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Once again, it's stupid, but the patent appears rather narrow in definition.
40hz:
Once again UserFriendly nails it:
wreckedcarzz:
lmao ;D
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