Florida: A Florida man, Thomas S. Ross has accused tech giant Apple of infringing a 1992 patent on an “electronic reading device” and is asking for $10 billion (Rs 67541 Crores) in damages. Ross is also demanding a royalty of up to 1.5% on Apple's worldwide sales of devices that allegedly infringe his patent.
Ross included drawings of his device, a boxy rectangle with a screen and physical keyboard, in his court filing in Florida Southern District Court, which was obtained by The Telegraph. The original iPhone was the first Smartphone without a physical keyboard. No matter, Ross said he was the first person “to have created a novel combination of media and communication tools.”
The lawsuit claimed that the “technical” drawings embody “a fusion of design and function in a way that never existed prior to 1992”.
It also claims that “Apple's three-dimensional derivative devices (iPhone, iPod, iPad), embody the non-functional aesthetic look and feel” of his design.
The lawsuit seems a bit hopeful given that Ross's patent was declared abandoned in 1995 by the US Patent and Trademark Office, because he didn't pay the required application fee.
Looking over Apple's product releases in the early 1990s, you might faintly remember the “Apple Newton”. This early “personal digital assistant” itself resembles Apple's modern products, such as the iPad and iPhone.
The Newton started development in 1987 and was released in 1993, so its design likely pre-dates the drawings Ross includes in his lawsuit contradicting his claims.
While Ross may describe this as a “great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured in money,” he may struggle to convince a jury that Apple stole his concept.
Steve Jobs famously said that Apple has "always been shameless about stealing great ideas", but did the tech giant steal this Florida man's designs for an "electronic reading device"?
