How do you make the leap from owner of a patent involving prior art to "Inventor of the iPod"?
(It would be nice to see a substantive discussion about this rather just a sensational headline, which may be misleading at best.) Inventor of the iPod ?? Posted by DB on 09/08/08 10:44 AM |
How do you make the leap from owner of a patent involving prior art to "Inventor of the iPod"?
(It would be nice to see a substantive discussion about this rather just a sensational headline, which may be misleading at best.) Inventor of the iPod ?? Posted by DB on 09/08/08 10:44 AM |
Did you click through to the original article? If you had, you'd see Kramer's original drawing from 1979 which looks one heckuva a lot like a modern iPod. It's not that big of a stretch, Posted by Guest Poster #3 on 09/08/08 11:08 AM |
As an engineer, I side with the inventors -- certainly not the lawyers or business tycoons. Apple owes him! Posted by Guest Poster #4 on 09/08/08 11:25 AM |
It's a shame. Apple is legally OK with not paying him, but they have a 16 Billion dollar cash reserve as a direct result of his efforts. They least they could do would be to throw a couple of million his way... Posted by Guest Poster #5 on 09/08/08 12:07 PM |
Although his patent ran out 1988, it couldn't hurt Apple to slide him a couple million—dude's 52 and renting. Posted by Guest Poster #6 on 09/08/08 12:14 PM |
Patents are time-limited monopolies granted to inventors to make and sell their inventions. They can do the making and selling themselves or can license those rights as they see fit.
These rights do expire, though.
I have a patent ready to file, but I cannot afford to submit it, and it is a few steps ahead of where Apple is. I expect that they may converge on it and all I will have is a sad story. Frankly, I think the technology as it stands may be too expensive to make my invention economically feasible.
If you could imagine what the technology to make an iPod cost in 1979, I'm sure Mr. Kramer's device was ludicrously expensive.
It's a bitch to be an inventor ahead of his time. I think that's why a lot of us would-be inventors love Steve Jobs -- he is what we want to be. Most people don't understand patents Posted by Guest Poster #7 on 09/08/08 12:59 PM |
I did look at the original article. Something from the past "looking a heckuva a lot like a modern iPod" does not equate to invention of the iPod. In this case, since a patent was given, it certainly indicates invention of "something." But what exactly? No one is saying exactly what the patent granted! Obviously it was sufficient to knock a certain contesting party out of the water regarding Apple's iPod. But that only says that the contest was ill founded. What's lacking here is any substantive discussion showing how in fact Kane Kramer's device was essentially an iPod. Without that, it's pure sensationalism to report, "Kane Kramer, Inventor of the iPod." Inventor of the iPod ?? Posted by DB on 09/08/08 2:27 PM |
Someone else "invented" the telephone before Bell and no one remembers who that was. Whether it was a lack of proper materials, capital or simply the ability to sell the idea is immaterial, yet that lack of fame doesn't negate the importance of the idea.
The telephone didn't pop into existence inside a Bell jar and neither did the iPod.
True innovators are rarely recognized by the world at large. It's always some Steve Jobs that gets the credit.
There's nothing new in the world except the history you don't know, as Burst.com learned to their chagrin.
M Posted by M Sharp on 09/08/08 4:09 PM |
The Wright Brothers weren't the first to fly, they were the first to reach a benchmark - 100 yards.
The marketeers are those who survive and take the credit if not the marketeers it's the bankers. They decide who to fund and hence who wins and who loses. Unless you are very clever, very skillful, and can blindside them you end up trashed.
Nearly a century ago Tesla was about to beam free energy to everyone, the bankers closed him down. Think about it, free energy. Look it up!
Nothing is what it seems. The inventors don't count Posted by Gandalf on 09/08/08 5:16 PM |
You stake your claim and hope you hit paydirt. The patent is the stick you use to defend your claim. This would have been a cautionary tale, but even if Kane hadn't let his patent lapse it wouldn't have lasted long enough to shake down Apple. Inventing is like prospecting Posted by Guest Poster #11 on 09/10/08 1:04 PM |
who created the ipod touch Posted by Guest Poster #12 on 09/18/08 3:41 PM |
Exploitation is the name of the game.
The year was 1973 and the compact disc was a few years from making it to the shelves of PLAYBACK or RADIO SHACK.
While putting a BLACK SABBATH album on my dual turntable I proclaimed to all of my fellow dorm floor students in attendance;
"SOMEDAY THEY'LL BE USING LASERS TO PLAY RECORDS"
It was a fleeting prophecy.
Flash forward 10 years and I was the first company to start manufacturing the now famous SOAP NET, with limited distribution at 10 retail locations in Florida. Only after some minor design modifications (by those who realized the potential of using poly netting as an alternative to the washcloth) was it destined for greatness.
What is the SOAP NET? It was the initial embodiment of those colorful, poly netting "puff balls" that have been on the market since 1986.
Posted by Guest Poster #13 on 09/18/08 7:56 PM |
An ancestor of mine, four generations and two continents removed, drew a sand picture of a device that became the iPod touch. We're filing suit tomorrow. Posted by Guest Poster #14 on 09/18/08 9:04 PM |
this inventor did not invent the ipod!!!!! Tony Fadell did!!!!! stupid Posted by Guest Poster #15 on 01/06/09 6:30 PM |
Dear inventor of the iPod,
I have an idea. Is it possible to invent an iPod TV? If you invented this, people could hook their iPods up and they could play whatever's on their iPods for the people to see them at a big size. If you don't want to invent this, it is OK. It's up to you. I have an idea Posted by Guest Poster #16 on 02/19/09 6:15 PM |
Mr Kane,I heard you this morning on Radio5 Live and I know you are aware of the difficulties a new inventor may have to market the product. I have submitted a Patent for phorescent cycle mudguards. I see the idea as simple to achieve, would make cyclists more visible to other road users and potentially could save lives. What help and advice could you give please? INVENTIONS Posted by Heather Arnold on 07/12/09 4:47 AM |
i love the ipod touch. i love to touch it Posted by Guest Poster #18 on 02/01/10 12:59 PM |
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