Ask HN: Apple filed to patent an app concept that I released a year ago.

Re:Ask HN: Apple filed to patent an app concept that I relea... by dwynings on Tuesday March 27, 2012 @02:06AM (#3760265)

For what it's worth, Apple filed for the patent in August 2010, which predates your app.

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Re:Ask HN: Apple filed to patent an app concept that I relea... by creamyhorror on Tuesday March 27, 2012 @02:42AM (#3760354)

Even so, does that mean he can't continue using the concept without fear of legal threats? Are patent filings made public immediately, and even if so, does that preclude the use of a similar concept right away?

It's a bit ridiculous that a logical design for a digital teleprompter-recorder could be patented, in a world where new UI concepts can be whipped up and released in a few hours.

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Re:Ask HN: Apple filed to patent an app concept that I relea... by fpgeek on Tuesday March 27, 2012 @03:12AM (#3760432)

> Even so, does that mean he can't continue using the concept without fear of legal threats?

Yes. To top it off, patent filings aren't made public immediately. There is a substantial delay (I think something like a 12 to 18 months, but I am not certain of that). Just one more way the patent system is a crazy, Kafkaesque mess.

Personally, I think independent inventions in the period between filing and disclosure should be considered prior art (or as evidence that something was obvious and/or "in the air"), but that's not the law, sadly.

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