Apple's iPhone design patents in China are invalid

Apple's brawl with Meizu has taken an interesting turn, with a Shanghai-based company suing the Patent Bureau and Apple, claiming Apple's design patents are invalid.

According to Chinese law, it is only possible to apply for product-specific patents. If one applies for a patent covering different types of products, the patent will be invalid.

Apple filed a patent covering three products. When the Patent Bureau saw that Apple did not specify what product the patent was for, they helped Apple register the patent for their mobile phone. However, a Shanghai company took the Patent Bureau to the courts about this. Apparently, acting for someone else like the Patent Bureau did is against Chinese law.

Apple attempted to patent the iPhone's design; rectangular shape with rounded edges, vertical display, and round button below the display. The Shanghai company, Luoen Network Information, claims that Apple's design patent is too broad, and would hurt other companies. Also, the company claims that other manufacturers (LG and Dopod/HTC) already released devices as described before Apple's iPhone.

The court is yet to make a final decision.

Source: Meizu BBS, Beijing Times

Fingers crossed!

(hope the story ends good)

Originally Posted by nice2know_u

Fingers crossed!

indeed!
I think Apple will feel the heat very soon..

Burn Apple, burn!

Oh my,
that sounds like some apple patent lawyer wont get a christmas bonus this year! o_O
I realy hope these patents crumble and Meizu will be able to sell the rest of their M8's

Finish him!
......
......
Fatality!

I really hope that Meizu could sue apple, so apple can't sell the iphones anymore

Originally Posted by LVL

Finish him!
......
......
Fatality!

I really hope that Meizu could sue apple, so apple can't sell the iphones anymore

because they have stolen the colour black from nature

Originally Posted by HandZumGruss

because they have stolen the colour black from nature

or because they stole the idea of making an cell-phone, from Motorola (Motorola DynaTAC) :P (but that way all cell-phone companies can be sued XDD)

Whatever happens, I am sure the Chinese people will make the right decision.

sounds awesome ^^

wow. That was really a broad patent. They covered like 80% of all phones with that!

This should be very interesting

so... what happens if apple loses? are iphones banned in china? or are the patents simply removed and everything resumes as normal?

Originally Posted by Rabsi1

so... what happens if apple loses? are iphones banned in china? or are the patents simply removed and everything resumes as normal?

Probably the second. If they can't hold the patent, then every company in china that wants to make a phone with that caracteristics will be able to do it. If Apple can't hold this patents, then no other company can, it'll be the official freedom for the Iphone-likes.

could meizu sue apple due to loss of sales due to production and sales of all m8's being stopped?

Originally Posted by Rabsi1

could meizu sue apple due to loss of sales due to production and sales of all m8's being stopped?

Wow, that would be a miracle... please make that dream come true^^

Originally Posted by Rabsi1

could meizu sue apple due to loss of sales due to production and sales of all m8's being stopped?

I don't think so since Apple only "requested" Meizu to stop selling, there was no lawsuit.

hmm.. meizu should follow this claim with big eyes and make a patent request on the day apple´s patent would be rejected :P

Originally Posted by evow04

hmm.. meizu should follow this claim with big eyes and make a patent request on the day apple´s patent would be rejected :P

It's impossible to make a patent request after the product has been published.