Apple multitouch patent could spell bad news for Palm
Published: 28 January, 2009
With touchscreens being the main driving force behind smartphones for the foreseeable future, Apple's rivals may shiver at a patent that the iPhone maker has won, covering multitouch functions on a handset. This could give the firm a powerful legal weapon against challengers, as the iPhone comes out of its honeymoon period and faces stepped-up competition - and Apple has already implicitly challenged one of those would-be 'iPhone killers', the Palm Pre.
Apple may not have been first to market with a touch phone (LG and others got there first), but its new US patent (number 7,479,949, awarded to '[Steve] Jobs et al' last week) is broad ranging, describing a method of "detecting one or more finger contacts with the touchscreen display" to command computing devices. Commands include swiping with the finger or thumb, twisting, and spreading to flip pages or rotate/enlarge views.
The patent was awarded just before Apple announced its quarterly results, when its acting CEO Tim Cook made some statements about intellectual property that - although he mentioned no names - were widely interpreted to be a shot across Palm's bows, as the smaller firm gears up to launch its Pre smartphone. The handset has various iPhone-like qualities, and was unveiled to high acclaim earlier this month by Palm's executive chairman Jon Rubinstein, who was an architect of the iPod at Apple and has been tipped to return should Steve Jobs' health problems persist.
Cook said: "We will not stand for having our [intellectual property] ripped off and we'll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal." Palm responded to the veiled threat, with a spokesperson saying: "Palm has a long history of innovation that is reflected in our products and robust patent portfolio, and we have long been recognized for our fundamental patents in the mobile space. If faced with legal action, we are confident that we have the tools necessary to defend ourselves."
The Palm Pre will have other weapons to compete with the iPhone, including strong multimedia power from its high end Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 processor, which analysts believe will add several dollars to the bill of materials, but will also deliver an enhanced audiovisual experience. Meanwhile, TI has cancelled the sale of its baseband processor business as it could not attract the price it wanted in the current climate.
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