Samsung cites 2001: A Space Odyssey Tablets as Prior Art

[karqren]

Samsung cites Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' movie as prior art against iPad design patent

"Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a true and correct copy of a still image taken from Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." In a clip from that film lasting about one minute, two astronauts are eating and at the same time using personal tablet computers. The clip can be downloaded online at clip1: Apple iPad in the 1969 classic: 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY - YouTube. As with the design claimed by the D?889 Patent, the tablet disclosed in the clip has an overall rectangular shape with a dominant display screen, narrow borders, a predominately flat front surface, a flat back surface (which is evident because the tablets are lying flat on the table's surface), and a thin form factor."

 

[TBolt]

Yea, that defensive argument was a stretch - putting it mildly.

I love my Samsung PC display, and I want to support Android devices as much as possible. I never bought into the whole GS2-iPhone or Galaxy Tab-iPad clone argument.

But, today's news about these new Samsung phones makes me admit that there really may be some merit - in some instances not involving the iPhone or iPad comparisons - in the argument that Samsung is copying designs.

I mean, come on . . . if the screens were dark & the Samsung logos were missing on these phones, I would have sworn they're new BlackBerries.