http://www.dailytech.com/Samsung+Apples+iPhone+Started+as+Sony+Ripoff/article25277.htm

Samsung: Apple's iPhone Started as Sony Ripoff
Jason Mick (Blog) - July 27, 2012 7:49 PM

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You copy, I copy, we all copy

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) is looking to ban all sales of Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd.'s (KSC:005930) smartphones on the grounds that they "copy" the look of its iPhone.  But new documents filed in court by Samsung rock that claim, alleging that Apple itself copied relatively blatantly from Sony Corp. (TYO:6758)

The design of the iPhone is protected by U.S. Design Patent No. D618,677 and D593,087.  Apple is suing Samsung, claiming that it design "copies" the patented iPhone design.

But the Samsung filings indicate that those claims are invalid.

First, they reference their own company's prior art.

To damage the "minimalist" claim it shows off multiple minimalist designs sold well before Apple filed for design protections in July 2007, and before the iPhone was announced.

Samsung also points to its F700 music player, which released in Feb. 2007.

Ironically, Apple tried to use this player as evidence, given that it showed off the iPhone in January 2007.  But Apple was forced to embarassingly retract that claim after its lawyers learned that it had been shown at Cebit 2006 (Mar. 2006).

But the more interesting claims relate to Sony.

Back in 2005 Apple was reeling with disappointment at failing to create a hit phone.  Apple's first attempt -- to hire Motorola Mobility Inc. to design an "iTunes Phone" had flopped when the Rokr E1 "iTunes phone" got panned.  Check out this 2005-era CNET picture:

_{Motorola Rokr E1 "iTunes Phone" [Image Source CNET]}

The editor remarks, "The Motorola Rokr E1 has an uninspiring design."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs demanded better.  Around the same time Apple began poaching Sony's engineers.  Sony at the time was working on some intriguing designs, such as the P900, a design made by Sony's joint venture with Sweden's Ericsson SpA (STO:ERIC B):

_{Sony Ericsson P900 [Image Source: CNET]}

That handset launched in April 2004.

By 2005, when Apple began to poach Sony's employees, Sony was reportedly working on far more advanced designs in the prototype.  Steve Jobs keenly took note.

_{Steve Jobs at a Sony event [Image Source: Unknown]}

Here's where the story gets a little strange.  In documents obtained by Samsung a CAD drawing of a smartphone that looks remarkably like the iPhone 4 (and a bit like the earlier iPhones) pops up on Apple's servers clearly branded "Sony".

Samsung believes the design was not directly stolen from Sony.  Rather, "in February 2006, before the claimed iPhone design was conceived, Apple executive Tony Fadell circulated a news article to Steve Jobs, Jonathan Ive and others. In the article, a Sony designer discussed Sony designs for portable electronic devices that lacked buttons and other 'excessive ornamentation,' fit in the hand, were ‘square with a screen’ and had 'corners [which] have been rounded out.'"

According to Samsung, Apple then assigned Shin Nishibori -- a Japanese industrial designer who worked for Apple since 2002 -- to mock up what that text description might look like.

This was the result:

_{[Image Source: The Verge]}

The fact that Mr. Nishibori included the Sony label seems to be pretty damning, and even Apple seemingly realized that, changing the logo to "Jony" in later images, a play on its lead designer -- Jony Ive's name.

_{[Image Source: The Verge]}

But Samsung argues the message is clear -- Apple copied from Sony.

Apple had a little bit of a history of "borrowing" competitors' ideas.  CEO Steve Jobs lifted the idea for his successful Mac operating system from Xerox Corp. (XRX)  He once bragged, "Picasso had a saying - 'Good artists copy, great artists steal.' And we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."  

So Sony should get all the money. Sounds better than Apple and their army of lawyers trying to fuck over Samsung. Sony needs all the help they can get with the phone business. I'm terrible with "law" but shouldn't Sony be demanding royalties over what Samsung is arguing.

Cellphones

Apple reveals 'Purple' phone prototype in court filing, to prove it didn't copy Sony

By Mat Smith posted Jul 30th 2012 2:26AM

The Verge

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Leave A Comment

The whole thing is funneh

Sony CLIÉ SL10, 2002/2003

*facepalm for you Apple* They're modern cellphones, they pretty much all have a version that's thin, touchscreen and bloody chamfered edges!

The whole ordeal is stupid. Its one thing to copyright a name or logo or specific NEW feature etc. But to be able to copyright a rounded rectangle if absolutely dumb and should have never been allowed in the first place.

iPhone should die. Android high=end phones are simply better anyways, hence why Apple is always copying them from notifications to multi-tasking and soon to screen sizes (smaller in tablets and larger in phones). Funny part is there was almost nothing in the last iOS update that was new and didn't already exist in Android. In many cases Android still does it better.

I really dislike Apple primarily for things like this. Stop innovating (which they can do very well btw) and instead focus on suing everyone to oblivion for their made up infringements. The only thing I knock against samsung is that their first Galaxy S and Tab (over two years ago) models did look too similar, considering they were not first to market they could have altered it a little to be more different. But again that was just physical appearance and it was still clearly different to anyone actually looking.

Now there are definitely different in not only function but form. So this whole thing is a pointless exercise in wasting money.

These ongoing lawsuit war's are so childish. Lol.

They copied Sony becuase it has a touchscreen. That makes total sense

well microsoft copied sony and nintendo by making a video game console....But seriously wasn't samsung taking apple to court for using technology they invented?