Apple files for more iOS 7 icon trademarks and wins design patent in China

“On Monday an avalanche of revised iOS 7 icons surfaced at the US Patent and Trademark Office followed by another big round on Tuesday,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.

“To end off the week just right, USPTO published two more of Apple’s iOS 7 Icons trademark filings for Photos and Game Center,” Purcher reports. “In between times, the Canadian IP Office published five more black and white iOS 7 icons that many Apple fans really liked.”

Purcher reports, “And lastly, Hong Kong’s IP Office granted Apple a new MacBook Pro related design patent.”

Read more, and see Apple’s icon and patent application illustrations, in the full article here.

29 Comments

  1. Apple’s new business now is to sue people for using their crappy iOS 7 icons. But first they have to patent those crappy icons in the first place. Those icons are horrendous; only the tasteless and blind would want to copy them.

    1. So anonymous coward ‘Patenting crap’. The obvious question is: So what are YOUR superior designs?

      Criticism has two parts:

      1) The evaluation.

      2) The providing of suggested superior alternatives.

      We’re read your #1. Typical troll urine. How about landing your #2 on us?

      Everyone duck!

  2. Huh. I thought we weren’t suppose to worry about the tacky icons shown off during the keynote as they were only early alphas that were going to change before golden master?

    Sorry, but the Emperor is buck naked!

  3. Huh. I thought we weren’t suppose to worry about the tacky icons shown off during the keynote as they were only early alphas that were going to change before golden master? Looks like they WERE the final ones; in all their day-glo, pastel, hello-kitty glory!

    Sorry, but the Emperor is buck naked!

  4. Jony is so remarkable and a genius at industrial design with no equal.

    That said, visual design, not so much. If he worked for a world class graphics design firm he would be taken to task for inconsistency in design.

    Examples:

    Game Center: The last remaining skeuomorphism design ala Steve’s vision and personal taste in art. Three dimensional bubbles, highlights, mid tones, transparency and edge shadows in rainbow colors. Tim’s fav? Far out, man.

    Photos: Flatter, but retains some 3D using transparency in rainbow colors.

    Maps: Skeuomorphism flat lite.

    Mail, Phone, iTunes, Messages, FaceTime: Outlines with a gradient background.

    Photos: Outlines with no color.

    Music: Outlines with color.

    So, all over the visual style guide map and Apple should do better.

      1. Thanks, grizz.

        The staunchest backers in the Mac community for decades have always been graphic artists and designers. I’m surprised more of them do not point out the various style approaches?

        iOS7 icons will come in what looks like 5-6 different styles. World class designers select an approach and apply the same style to all icons for CONSISTENCY of design. Example: Skeuomorphism used ONE dimensional style for all Apple apps.

        The only exception arrived with an iOS upgrade that changed the recording icon (Skeuomorphism) to white outlines on a blue background. I scratched my head at the time wondering why, but now we know where they are headed.

        Would be great if Apple allow users choice of icons. At upgrade time, simply offer two buttons, classic look or iOS7 look. The power of choice to customize our personal devices. Imagine that … leaves a good taste (of art) in everyone’s mouth. 🙂

  5. So what’s the smarter thing to do?

    A) Patent your designs in China before manufacture? (Expect immediate ripoff and China’s ‘legal’ system enablement there of).

    B) Don’t patent your stuff in China until time of manufacture? (Expect immediate ripoff…)

    C) Never patent your stuff in China? (What’s the point? It’s only going to ripped off by Chinese spies at wherever…)

    I choose B.

    Other thoughts?

    1. …And the same likely applies to trademarks. Apple certainly got screwed over by China after ‘legally’ buying the ‘iPad’ trademark for mainland China. That entire debacle was nothing more than fraud by way of scammer Proview in collaboration with the crap Chinese ‘legal’ system.

  6. I’m curious. Why would they file black and white icons unless they have a need for black and white icons. Did they do this with the previous icons? Do they have a device up their sleeve that will use black and white icons. I imagine a watch with an e-ink type display might need these. Though I’m not sure why I would want to view photos on an e-ink display. Could be a smoke screen as well. I guess time will tell.

    The maps icon change is interesting and i haven,t seen it posted anywhere what the is. It’s changing to show the new headquarters of Apple the Spaceship campus. For someone leaving the spaceship campus this would be the way to the 280 freeway. The old maps (current) shows 1 Infinte Loop.

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