[IxDA Discuss] Apple's Gesture Dictionary [PATENT]

[pauric]

Will "Once again, please tell me how this patent limit the development of a
robust, open pattern language for gestures?"

Ok, again, I didnt say this would limit an open standard, I said its
an opportunity lost.  An open standard will come and imho that will
eventually rule the day. This could gain better adoption as an open
standard, not a intellectual property stake in the ground.

Will " Apple intends to provide quite robust support for user-defined
gestures and gesture strings."

Yes, and as I read the intent behind patenting a dictionary... the
'support' of the language, they are aiming to make it difficult for
other vendors to build similar dictionaries, rendering those languages
less usable via poorer support mechanisms. That could potentially
force designers to build limited gestural languages, ones that dont
need a full blown dictionary.  Therefor Apple's expansive gestural
language, as defined in the dictionary, is protected - to a degree.

Will Evans: 'if the patent is in the public domain we can read it'
I think you may have spoken with a copyright specialist.  The issue
here is that if any of us are working in this domain, in parallel with
the discussed Apple design, then it could be proven at a later date
that by reading the Apple patent we were influenced by and willingly
re-used their I.P.

take care -p