Apple about to lose some IP?....

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Finally someone with some sense it seems...

 

...a court in Mannheim, Germany has stayed Apple's second slide-to-unlock case. According to FOSS Patents, the decision was made for the "duration of a parallel proceeding before the German Patent and Trademark Office that could lead to the revocation, in whole or in part, of Apple's slide-to-unlock utility model." Purportedly, the judge said that the court was not convinced of the "validity of that intellectual property right in all respects, with particular concern about the broadest group of claims."...

 

Source: http://www.engadget....t-case-germany/

 

Some more info:

...

When I

reported on the related trial

, I already explained the key differences between patents and utility models. A utility model is a fast-track patent that is valid for a maximum of ten years, and unlike a patent, which undergoes at least some examination, utility model registrations are a mere formality. In light of that difference, utility models, unlike patents, don't enjoy a presumption of validity. If you assert a utility model, you bear the burden of proof. If you assert a patent in court, the defendant has to meet a certain standard to succeed with an invalidity defense, or to at least win a stay....

 

Source: http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2012/03/mannheim-court-halts-apples-second.html

Edited March 16, 2012 by Sgt. Slaughter

[legion125]

Finally a voice of reason from the judicial wilderness. Please God let some sanity come down on these frivolous lawsuits.