The Apple vs. Samsung court case has vacuumed the lion’s share of the blogosphere’s attention over the past couple of weeks, and with the key figures of both companies now getting involved, it’s simply impossible to to be intrigued by the constantly-moving sequence of events. Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iOS Software and regular speaker at the WWDC keynote speeches, testified in the case last week, and now NetworkWorld has latched on to some intriguing information mentioned by Forstall months ago.
With regards to three multi-touch patents highlighted in the case, excerpts from Forstall’s deposition see the iOS chief notes how former CEO Steve Jobs once warned Samsung not to “copy or steal” the inertial scrolling, rubber band innovation. Jobs is said to have conversed with Samsung on the matter, and as Forstall recites in his deposition:
Steve said, here’s something we invented. Don’t – don’t copy it. Don’t steal it….Rubber banding is one of the sort of key things for the fluidity of the iPhone and – and all of iOS.
Forstall then notes it was an invention Jobs personally “cared about,” and at the time when Jobs spoke with Samsung, Android had not done rubber banding, but it was added later. He continues:
So they actually went form sort of, you know, not yet copying and infringing to – to choosing to copy, which is sad and distasteful…
Forstall believes the issue was discussed in subsequent meetings, although he doesn’t offer specifics, and he also spoke of Jobs’ conversations with Samsung regarding icon designs. “There’s a set of things we’ve done,” he’s quoted as saying, “which you’re copying,” and Jobs is then said to have talked about the rounded corners as being unique to Apple.
NetworkWorld also touched on Forstall’s account of the ’163 patent, or double-tap to zoom. It was the SVP of iOS himself who came up with the idea, and he regards it as very significant indeed. Having found pinch-zooming a little tiresome and seamed, his team worked hard to find a solution, and he was amazed with the results.
The Apple vs. Samsung trial continues today, and we’ll obviously keep you updated with any new revelations as they arrive, so stay tuned!
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