News - Apple patent MacBook Air shape and metallic style

[HEXUS]

Hoping to stop MacBookAir copyists from Ultrabook-land.

Read more.

[3dcandy]

Stupid, just plain stupid...

[jimbouk]

Which idiot would approve such a broad patent which just rips off existing ideas. God bless America.

[Roobubba]

I don't see how it can be enforceable, but then I'm not a patent lawyer so know nothing about the seemingly-ridiculous nuances of patent law. I would hope that other manufacturers are tending to look to 'new' designs, rather than copying Apple (who, as pointed out in the article, were not the first with this tapered design of notebook in any case!).

I wonder if they'll also patent the massive bulging battery... I've seen so many macbooks/pro/airs where the battery has ballooned now that it's just not funny! Sure wouldn't like that to happen while it's on your lap!

[EverybodyelsE]

Pathetic Apple...pathetic!

[aidanjt]

All the more reason to take IP law out the back and shoot it.

[kalniel]

The X505 is noted in the patent application.

But yeah, US patents...

[vdbswong]

You've got to be kidding me. :|

[Brewster0101]

Absolute pathetic Apple, pathetic American Patent system (clearly corrupt) - Pathetic

Add more fuel to the fire to hate Apple

[Terbinator]

I'm guessing Sony can't make anything out of Apple patenting 'their' design if they didn't have a patent themselves?

[kingpotnoodle]

I don't see how it can be enforceable, but then I'm not a patent lawyer so know nothing about the seemingly-ridiculous nuances of patent law. I would hope that other manufacturers are tending to look to 'new' designs, rather than copying Apple (who, as pointed out in the article, were not the first with this tapered design of notebook in any case!).

Probably not enforceable but smaller competitors will have to waste money they could spend on R&D fighting court cases or changing designs. Apple have money to waste already so aren't bothered.

Apple designs are so generic and sameish it's hard not to resemble them. Any laptop that's thinner at the front, has rounded corners (i.e 90%+ of the the market) and made of matte Aluminium will fall foul.

Hopefully other manufacturers will just adopt a slightly different shade of metallic, or make it non-silver (i.e. classic black) - I've never been a fan of the aluminium kitchen appliance look Apple go for so I'd be quite happy!

[Jz3r0E]

I hereby patent the cube.

[Steve]

Euclid is spinning in his grave.

[keithwalton]

Whoever granted that patent should be removed from office.
Also any product that was released (Asus, Hp mentioned and all those ultrabooks) before the patent was granted is surely safe as it will fall under prior art which will then void the entire patent.

However it does show that apple really have a thing for annoying their suppliers. Intel turned around the fortunes of apple a few years back by supplying them with the latest and greatest chips when there own ibm/amd chips were starting to look very dated and now they're slapping them in the face just like they did with samsung who supply the bulk of their mobile devices.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I'm guessing Sony can't make anything out of Apple patenting 'their' design if they didn't have a patent themselves?

Prior art though - it just shows how crap the US patent office is IMHO. However,since Sony is Japanese,why do they care??

[McPhee]

In two minds with this to be honest. It is a bit silly that it was granted, but manufacturers are borrowing more than just a little from MacBook design at the moment. Every year the new machines look less and less like the laptops of 5 years ago, and more and more like unibody MacBook Pros (regular laptops) or the MacBook Air (ultrabooks). It was only a matter of time before this behaviour resulted in Apple being granted patents on these designs; it won't have been difficult to demonstrate the company's need for them.