Apple sued over OS X fast boot feature

By on Aug 8, 2011 at 9:45 AM
Legal August 8, 2011

Florida-based Operating Systems Solutions has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple. OSS is alleging that the Cupertino-based firm’s Mac OS X fast-boot feature infringes on one of its patents relating to a “method for quick booting an OS.” More specifically, the lawsuit says Apple infringes on:

A method for fast booting a computer system, comprising the steps of: A. performing a power on self test (POST) of basic input output system (BIOS) when the system is powered on or reset is requested; B. checking whether a boot configuration information including a system booting state which was created while executing a previous normal booting process exists or not; C. storing the boot configuration information from execution of the POST operation before loading a graphic interface (GUI) program, based on the checking result; and D. loading the graphic user interface (GUI) program.

LG Electronics was originally granted the patent in 2002 and Patently Apple said the patent was then reissued to a company named Promitus Technologies LLC in 2008. It remains unclear how Operating Systems Solutions obtained the patent, or if LG or Promitus Technologies are involved in the lawsuit in any way.

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  • Anonymous

    I’m curious as to whether OSS has ever done anything… besides file for patents, of course.

    • Tony

      I curious if Apple has ever done anything, except use other peoples innovations and call them their own…

      • Bringit

        Perhaps the most dumb question in BGR history – however the answer is yes.  Yes they have. 

      • Rudy

        Like what?

        Every single product I can think of from the beginning of Apple’s time was based off someone elses idea and ‘made better’, and marketed as ground breaking.

      • Tony

        Bringit didn’t really bring anything.  At least give an example.

      • Anonymous

        Reality check: Apple x86/x64 computers do not use BIOS; they use EFI, a modern BIOS replacement.

      • Bringit

        Forbes has Apple as the 5th most innovative company – 2 ahead of Google.

        forbes dot com/special-features/innovative-companies.html

        But if you simpletons need a list, here’s some:

        * Business model on the iPod (songs sold for $1 each online)
        * SMS move over
        * Cover flow

        And on and on.

        By the way – as long as you are not stealing, taking ideas from others and improving on them is not a bad thing.  Been going on since the wheel – even before.  

        Haters.

      • Anonymous

        You may troll the shit out of this place, but when you’re right, you’re right. Taking the ideas of others and improving upon them makes the world work.

      • notImportant

        tell that to every apple fanboy that screams “BITER” when another company imitates an apple accessory and makes it better.

      • Steve Lee

        I think you want to say Apple use to innovate ?

      • Impheatus

        Cover Flow was created by an independent developer.
        Apple just bought it in 2006…

  • http://twitter.com/Avian Avian

    Taste of your own medicine apple!

    • Anonymous

      Apple is the most sued company out there regarding IP.
      They are either the excessive patent infringers or victims of patent trolls… or more likely somewhere in between. 

      • ATTMOBILE

        Or, the patent system is hopelessly broken, with overly broad patents handed out like haloween candy. And most tech companies (including Apple) take advantage of this to stifle competition (and, as a consequence, innovation)

    • Anonymous

      Yeah like it’s the first time they have gotten sue Lmao. Son Apple gets sue multiple times a day, nothing new.

    • http://twitter.com/bryandobson bdobson

      Heck yeah right? Let’s make sure these patent holding companies get the just due for there hard work. Let’s sit back and enjoy these operating systems we have now because if this type of crap is the norm we will never, ever see someone stupid enough to try to make something new. Good thinking!

      • Booboolala2000

        When innovation kicks back in at apple, let me know.

  • Anonymous

    hahah fast boot patent.
    thats a good one

  • Anonymous

    What goes around comes around Cupertino.

  • Anonymous

    Taste of apples own medicine….. take that apple

  • gerry frawley

    these things are nuts….it’s only a matter of time before someone patents a process by which human beings expel waste products from their backends…then we will have to have little credit card terminals connected to our toilets….instead of a swipe fee we can call it a “wipe fee”

    • Anonymous

      gerry, based on your comment, am I correct in assuming that you’ve retrieved, read, and studied the complete prosecution history of the patent at issue, and you disagree with the Examiner’s findings regarding patentability?  Please let us know specifically where you find fault with this particular examination. Also, what’s your reg number? I want to see how many years you have under your belt.  Thanks.

      • gerry frawley

        I have enough years under my belt to worn you that Namco is coming after you for copyright infringement, wiseguy

      • Anonymous

        NAMCO? Copyright infringement? Come again?

      • gerry frawley

        Sorry, cannot reply to you because your REPLY button is missing, but DigDug is a video game from the 1980s created by NAMCO.  Now, just to illustrate my point, wouldn’t it be absurd if NAMCO came after you for violating a copyright because of your name? Of course it would, just as 90 percent of these patent infringement claims are.

      • Anonymous

        ahh, gerry, I thought that might be where you were going;  Indeed, there is a registered CR  to Atari/Namco for “Dig Dug,” two separate words. Neither they (nor  anyone else) have a registered CR for “DigDug2010″ (one word) (and yes, I know it’s 2011, lol).  I am seriously starting to question your IP experience.  But I look forward to your post-issuance examination analysis re: the patent discussed in this article, as originally requested, as well as your reg number.  Thanks!

      • Anonymous

        Digdug, you really are a tool….

      • Booboolala2000

        It is 2011 you know?

      • Anonymous

        www(dot)newscientist(dot)com/mobile/article/dn2178-boy-takes-swing-at-us-patents.html
        our patent system is a joke

  • PSchwarzman

    Haha, I don’t know what’s funnier, the Fast Boot Patent or that the companys name is OSS :P

    • Anonymous

      another unknown company looking for more money

      • Steve Lee

        Because you dont know them doesnt mean they are unknown.. you should go out and shop around … get out of your cave sometime

  • Anonymous

    I just paid $ 23.86 for an iPhone and my girlfriend loves her Dell laptop that we got for $ 38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 42 inch LED TV to my boss for $ 665 which only cost me $ 62,81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, GrabPenny.com

  • http://twitter.com/ahow628 ahow628

    Dear patent system,

    DIE ALREADY!

    Love,
    ahow628

  • Anonymous

    You live by the sue, you die by the sue.  Abusive companies should be abused.

  • Satya Chowdary

    Apple started the patent war now it’s like apple vs rest of the world and the war is gonna consume apple pretty soon.

    • Anonymous

      Your joking right??  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,  If anything it was either Motorola or Nokia! In the Cell phone wars.   Just look at Android, what’s not been copied on that OS?!?!

    • Bluelou65

      “Apple started the patent war”

      WTF? Apple was the first company to sue anybody over patent infringement ever? serious question……are you retarded?

  • Anonymous

    see what you started apple?? not very sue-happy now are you?

  • Anonymous

    Great..make apple pay for infringing other’s copyright for once

    • http://twitter.com/bryandobson bdobson

      Neat. This is why I love the Internet. Ignorant statements like that. Awesome.

  • Booboolala2000

    Lol. More proof of bogus patents. Apple is definitely the ring leader here. Good to see the little guy get in on the action. Quick. Everyone write down an idea and get a patent for it. I’m sure your day, just like Apple and OSS will come up and we can all lean back and do nothing and make millions.

  • Fadedspark

    good. I like the new mba, and i like some of the innovations apple brings to the table, but if they’re going to gave a patent war over little things with android, they deserve some on the os x side.

  • Anonymous

    I’m sure that Apple realizes now that patenting a brilliant idea does make the idea secure. But it also stunts innovation to a brilliant product such as the macbook air.Are there intricacies about this case that we don’t know about? Certainly. I hope that there is an end to this patent war because in the end, it’s only hurting the customers and feeding the trolls. Have a nice day.

  • Anonymous

    Hey BGR why no word on the emails that prove Google willfully infringed on Java I.P.? They welcomed litigation. 

    “Back in 2005, well before Android was released, Rubin wrote,
    “If Sun doesn’t want to work with us, we have two options: 1) Abandon
    our work and adopt MSFT CLR VM and C# language – or – 2) Do Java anyway
    and defend our decision, perhaps making enemies along the way.”

    Regarding that email, the judge overseeing the case
    observed, “Google may have simply been brazen, preferring to roll the
    dice on possible litigation rather than to pay a fair price [to license
    Java].”

    Rubin’s email suggests that the Android group was fully aware that it
    had already invested a lot of work into its Java-related platform, too
    much so to shift to the adoption of Microsoft’s alternative language and
    runtime.

    However, Google also rejected a deal with Sun to pay for Java licensing,
    and Rubin’s comments make it clear that the company planned to just
    keep going and see what would happen, inviting “enemies,” and,
    presumably, their legal response.”

    It is much juicer than this case, Apple will simply settle this case fast or find away to get it thrown out fast.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KUDELAD2R5YEFZRC477DY4ZCMM Leo Bass

    I paid $22.85 for an iPhone 4-32GB and my girlfriend loves her Panasonic Lumix GF 1 Camera that we got for $38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $674 which only cost me $62.81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, CentHub.com

    • ATTMOBILE

      I wish you’d invest that $22.85 in a cup of hemlock with razorblades in it, and drink it down.

  • shankapotomus

    this is clearly not true, apple invented booting a computer!

  • Anonymous

    Can we just throw the patent system out the window already?

  • WeLovePatents

    COOL,  we might all get sued for eating food

    1. lifting a fork and place the food in your mouth
    2. lifting chopsticks and place the food in your mouth
    3. using you hand to place food in your mouth

    Thanks to the world of patents

  • Anonymous

    Apple you reap what you have sowed, …

  • Impheatus

    ROFL!! Take that you patent suckers!!

  • Anonymous

    Look at iOS 5, what did they put in that bb and android dont have?

  • Anonymous

    Glad more companies are suing APPLE instead of greedy APPLE sues others.@

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