蘋果憑甚麼向三星要20億美金？

蘋果憑甚麼向三星要20億美金？

蘋果憑的就是在行動通訊技術領域落後的情況下，對於觸控技術的完整專利佈局！更者，此領域的權利金是以一支支行動通訊裝置來計算，這個累進效果，賣愈好就賺愈多！

蘋果與三星頻繁的訴訟，一直想個和解的方式，幾度和解破滅都是因為價錢喬不攏，彼此都擁有足以讓一般小公司致命的專利權，蘋果握有強大的觸控專利，三星則有厲害的3G/4G通訊專利。我相信，兩個公司在製造行動通訊裝置時，多少都已經在購買元件時已經支付對手不少的權利金，也墊高這類裝置的成本與價格。

這回，以下有幾個觸控功能的專利，就是讓蘋果侵蝕對手利潤的手段：

蘋果以所謂的「overscroll bounce」的US7469381（381案, updated on Aug. 3, 2012）要求對手支付每個單位（每個行動裝置）2.02美金的權利金，這個 381案就是描述在使用觸控螢幕操作時，會以滑動/捲動/旋轉的方式瀏覽檔案或是圖片，瀏覽過程中，如果「用力」超過瀏覽物件時會有滑出的動作，但是會「彈回」，用一個顯示效果反饋一種「力量」，厲害的是，這個視覺效果剛好配合著人的操作行為，配合大腦的視覺反應，讓畫面不會太過「死硬」，而有彈動的效果，提醒使用者已經操作到一個階段了，比如最後一張照片或文件。
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
at a device with a touch screen display:
displaying a first portion of an electronic document;
detecting a movement of an object on or near the touch screen display;
in response to detecting the movement, translating the electronic document displayed on the touch screen display in a first direction to display a second portion of the electronic document, wherein the second portion is different from the first portion;
in response to an edge of the electronic document being reached while translating the electronic document in the first direction while the object is still detected on or near the touch screen display:
displaying an area beyond the edge of the document, and
displaying a third portion of the electronic document, wherein the third portion is smaller than the first portion; and
in response to detecting that the object is no longer on or near the touch screen display, translating the electronic document in a second direction until the area beyond the edge of the electronic document is no longer displayed to display a fourth portion of the electronic document, wherein the fourth portion is different from the first portion.

（看蘋果的專利頗為有趣，因為跟行為操作有關，大家應該都看得懂）

另有一個US7844915（915案）專利，更要求每個單位支付3.10美金的權利金，915案揭露一種「scrolling API」，也就是綁著上述 381案的畫面效果，關於撰寫此滑動效果的API，這讓使用這類效果的程式都逃不了。

1. A machine implemented method for scrolling on a touch-sensitive display of a device comprising:
receiving a user input, the user input is one or more input points applied to the touch-sensitive display that is integrated with the device;
creating an event object in response to the user input;
determining whether the event object invokes a scroll or gesture operation by distinguishing between a single input point applied to the touch-sensitive display that is interpreted as the scroll operation and two or more input points applied to the touch-sensitive display that are interpreted as the gesture operation;
issuing at least one scroll or gesture call based on invoking the scroll or gesture operation;
responding to at least one scroll call, if issued, by scrolling a window having a view associated with the event object based on an amount of a scroll with the scroll stopped at a predetermined position in relation to the user input; and
responding to at least one gesture call, if issued, by scaling the view associated with the event object based on receiving the two or more input points in the form of the user input.



另有關於點按觸控螢幕縮小放大與瀏覽功能的US7864163（163案）專利，要求每個單位權利金2.02美元。
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display;
displaying at least a portion of a web page on the touch screen display, wherein the web page comprises a plurality of boxes of content;
detecting a first finger tap gesture at a location on the displayed portion of the web page;
determining a first box in the plurality of boxes at the location of the first finger tap gesture; and
enlarging and translating the web page so as to substantially center the first box on the touch screen display, wherein enlarging comprises expanding the first box so that the width of the first box is substantially the same as the width of the touch screen display;
resizing text in the enlarged first box to meet or exceed a predetermined minimum text size on the touch screen display;
while the first box is enlarged, detecting a second finger tap gesture on a second box other than the first box; and
in response to detecting the second finger tap gesture, translating the web page so as to substantially center the second box on the touch screen display.

（非常有趣的專利範圍，我覺得）

更厲害的是設計：

最後，更以蘋果對各裝置的「設計專利」或是一種以一系列設計專利形成的保護整體形象外觀的「trade dress」的授權，要求對手每個單位支付24美元的權利金。（可參考：http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2009/04/trade-dress.html）


以上幾個權利就是蘋果能夠由三星取得的龐大授權金的原因，特別的是，絕大部分是來自使用上的"look and feel"的設計專利與trade dress權利。

即便蘋果公司對上述要求自信滿滿，但從各種新聞來看，各國法院對這類專利訴訟都有不太一樣的判斷，使得蘋果公司在每個國家有不同的權利主張。

Ron
資料來源：FOSS Patents, CNET
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57478619-37/apple-samsung-you-owe-us-$2.5b-in-damages/