November 8, 2012 at 18:02Apple did get a patent for a rounded rectangle
Design patent D670,286 ( PDF ) for the "portable display", issued November 6, is entirely devoted to the notorious rounded corners of the iPad. The patent consists of several illustrations with explanations. The key point is that all parts of the device in the illustrations, which are shown in broken lines, do not apply to the patented design. And the only continuous line in the drawings is a rounded rectangle that depicts the outer edge of the tablet.
Naturally, a design patent can be applied only to those types of devices that are specified in the application, and not to any objects of a similar shape, so that the legal apocalypse in all industries after the grant of this patent does not occur. But now, any tablet manufacturer that has given its device a patented form, regardless of the appearance of other structural elements, is much more likely to repeat the fate of Samsung.
Naturally, a design patent can be applied only to those types of devices that are specified in the application, and not to any objects of a similar shape, so that the legal apocalypse in all industries after the grant of this patent does not occur. But now, any tablet manufacturer that has given its device a patented form, regardless of the appearance of other structural elements, is much more likely to repeat the fate of Samsung.