苹果官司胜诉将冲击平板市场

来势汹汹的平板专利战正严重冲击韩国三星电子公司(Samsung Electronics)。该公司继先前在澳洲的诉讼败给了苹果公司(Apple)后，如今，德国地方法院也裁定──禁止三星Android版Galaxy Tab 10.1平板电脑在荷兰以外的欧盟国家贩售。 尽管三星公司很可能再提起上诉，但在德国的这次挫败将延迟该公司在平板计算机市场上超越苹果公司的计划。同时，也可能因而减缓其它无线手机/平板制造商的Android采用率。 三星公司的竞争对手们必须特别注意了，千万不要因为该公司迄今在专利战中的一点失败而得意，因为这一专利战已经将各主要无线手机和平板市场的重要厂商都牵扯进来了。苹果公司在澳大利亚和欧洲用来牵制三星的相同策略手法也正等着他们，因为苹果公司还锁定了其它平板制造商。例如苹果公司已经对位于德国的摩托罗拉公司(Motorola Mobility Inc.)提出诉讼，想要透过法院禁制令来限制摩托罗拉销售XOOM平板产品。 由于苹果公司处心积虑地避免其所声称的设计侵权，使得像台湾宏达电子(HTC)等多家公司也同样出现在全球各地的法院被告席中。这场战争终将带来更多长久的、旷日费时的诉讼战，而受理上诉的法院是否支持苹果公司最近一连串的胜诉，目前也还不得而知。然而，可以肯定的是，这种情况已经为产业带来了一种“寒蝉效应”──制造商们越来越关注的是他们是否可继续开发基于Google Android操作系统的产品。 成功限制三星Galaxy平板电脑销售的禁制令是根据苹果的共同设计专利号000181607。一些业界观察家表示，这项专利经确认后，将可能限制业界其它厂商制造平板电脑。在检视过基于苹果专利保护的设计后，我也不得不认同目前整个局势已极度纷扰的看法。 显然地，这项设计就类似于目前市场上的许多其它平板设计。如果苹果公司最近封杀三星的官司胜利受到全球的认可，它将可能接着成为适用于限制其它制造商的策略。如果真是这样的话，这些公司们都应该离开这一市场，直接投入苹果公司就好了。 难道这真的是我们想要的开放市场空间吗？而这就是我们的专利之所以存在的目的吗？ 或许我的想法并不完全正确，但法院允许一家公司以一种通用设计概念的基础，让这么多的竞争厂商作不成生意，这似乎就是个错误的判断。如果苹果公司的专利保护单单仅基于此或任何类似的概念，那么整个OEM产业可要担心了。无线手机与平板市场的参与厂商们如果想要取得竞争优势，他们就必须将眼光放远，跳脱那些愚蠢的策略计谋才是。 无论如何，苹果公司已经是这个领域的胜利者了，它并不需要在现有的专利战中让自己斗得鼻青眼肿。 编译：Susan Hong 本文授权编译自EBN Online，版权所有，谢绝转载 参考英文原文：This Apple Win Should Not Stand，by Bolaji Ojo

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{pagination} This Apple Win Should Not Stand Bolaji Ojo The raging tablet patent war is going very badly for Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Korea: SEC). It lost against Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) in Australia, and now a German court has barred the sale of its Android Galaxy Tab 10.1. Although Samsung will likely appeal the ruling, the setback in Germany could delay the company's plans to overtake Apple in the tablet PC market. It also could slow down the adoption of Android by other wireless handset/tablet manufacturers. (See: Brawling OEMs & a Broken Patents System.) Samsung rivals need to pay attention and not rejoice over its losses so far in the patent war, which has pulled in combatants from all the major wireless handset and tablet markets. The same strategy Apple has used to tie up Samsung in Australia and Europe awaits them, too, because the company has other tablet makers in its sights. It has filed suit against Motorola Mobility Inc. (NYSE: MMI) in Germany and wants an injunction preventing the sale of the company's Xoom tablet. Companies like Taiwan's HTC are similarly in the dock in various courts globally as Apple fights to prevent what it alleges is the theft of its designs. The war will play out in many long, drawn-out battles, and it's not clear whether appellate courts will back up Apple's recent victories. What's certain, however, is that the situation is already having a chilling effect on the industry as manufacturers grow concerned about whether they can continue developing products based on Google's Android operating system. The successful injunction against Samsung's Galaxy is based on Apple's Community Design Patent No. 000181607. Several industry observers have said the patent -- if upheld -- could prevent other companies from making tablets. After reviewing the design on which Apple is basing its patent defense, I couldn't help but agree that the entire situation is deeply disturbing. (See the images and associated documents here.) Obviously, the design is similar to many other tablet designs currently in the marketplace. If Apple's latest court victory against Samsung is upheld globally, it should then be applicable against all other manufacturers. In that case, they should simply leave the market to the Cupertino, Calif., company. Is this really what we want in the marketplace, and is this the purpose patents are meant to serve? I might be wrong, but it seems wrongheaded that the courts would allow a company to put so many of its competitors out of business on the basis of a generic design concept. If Apple's patent defense is based solely on this or any similar concept, then the entire OEM world should be worried. If the participants in the wireless handset and tablet markets want to gain a competitive advantage, they need to look beyond silly tactical maneuverings. Apple is already a winner in this sector. It doesn't need the black eye it will likely get from the current patent war.