Apple Unveils Bag (I-Bag?)

Gizmodo ^ | 9/19/2016 | Sophie Kleeman

[Loud Mime]

Silicon Valley is the capital of disruption. It’s the epicenter of the innovation earthquake. It’s the leader of the new way forward. And Apple, as the industry’s Think Different darling, is at the forefront of the revolution. So much so, in fact, that it decided a patent a sweet bag.

The patent was filed in March and published by the US Patent and Trademark Office last week. The retail vessel carries a beautifully simple name—“bag”—and Apple describes it thusly:

A paper bag is disclosed. The paper bag may include a bag container formed of white solid bleached sulfate paper with at least 60% post-consumer content. “A paper bag is disclosed.” Not since American Beauty have bags been this poetic.

[dayglored]

This is gonna sound strange, perhaps, but I am aware than when I buy a product, some of my payment goes towards things not related to my purchase, such as marketing for other products, patent applications, etc. I don't have a problem with that.

So I am actually rather pleased that Apple spend some time doing this patent application for a bag, even though I imagine that a little bit of what I paid for my iPhone went towards that effort.

Because today, I received significant value, in the form of unbridled merriment, from reading their patent application.

Thanks for the chuckles, guys.

Go ahead, try reading just the "Claims" section out loud. See if you can get through it with a straight face.

[Ancesthntr]

I’m assuming that this is satire.

If not, then GMAFB!

[Boogieman]

YOU can’t put anything in the iBag. You have to buy stuff from the Apple store, and they deposit it securely in the iBag for you. It’s for your own safety!

[Ancesthntr]

Next is the perfect gift for men to their wives, the I Ron. :>)

[null and void]

In the absence of knowing what is novel, useful and inobvious about this bag, I'll reserve judgment.

[null and void]

I want to patent oxygen, and then get royalties from those who use it.

There is precedent. General Electric patented tungsten.

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

It is odd to patent a bag, I agree. However, Apple needs to make some attempt to protect ALL of its intellectual property. They have the money to enforce the patent - most small companies do not. You have to assume that the bag will be made in some Chinese (or worse) sweatshop that will have no hesitation in selling the same bag with another company's logo on it. You have to assume that when you offshore production you are effectively releasing your design details to the world. Foreign manufacturing/assembly houses will sell you out in a second or at least their employees will.

I remember an article from years ago (~10-15) about how Cisco Systems realized that one of their contract assembly houses has ripped off one of their products and was selling it at 25% of their price. Same product, same production line, different Logo on the product in a plain white box. There are countless stories like this.

[Blogatron]

The iBrick (superior in every way) is mine.

[null and void]

It was worse than that, a Chinese company was making exact copies of the Cisco servers.

Right down to the serial numbers.

Cisco detected the problem when they got multiple service/maintenance request for the same serial number server in widely separated locations.

They tracked down the company making the clones, and that company's response to Cisco's futile attempt at getting a Chinese court to issue a cease and desist order was to blandly offer to build the servers for Cisco!

[mrsmith]

No. Tim Cook would insist on it being called a “Tea Bag”!

[Rio]

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2016/0264304.html

it’s true...

[Swordmaker]

Did Apple just patent a paper bag? Yup, they did. I actually understand why and what is new and unique about this bag that others are missing. Apple has succeeded in making a pure shiny white paper bag out of at least 60% recycled materials which is strong enough to actually use. Prior recycled materials bags are impossible to get to be pure shiny white and retain their strength to be useable after the bleaching process. THAT is what and why Apple is patenting this bag. It's in the claims. I think they're going to replace their standard un-recyclable vinyl backpack bag. — PING!

Apple iBag
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me

[bobcat62]

They’ve gotten rid of the plastic bag. The last 2 bags were paper, with a cool woven handles... woven from paper, but look like woven cotton fiber.

I can’t blame them for trying to slap a patent on a bag. If the don’t do things like this, some patent troll will drag them into an East Texas Court on a patent infringement case... for a paper bag.

[Loud Mime]

You make some very good points.

A few months ago I bought a new Macbook Pro - 15 inch. It was packed like a piece of jewelry. Just opening it was a treat.

OK, now for the “claims” section.....

[Moltke]

Here is a link to the entire patent APPLICATION. I’m a friggin patent attorney and I still typed it wrong.

So am I (other than the 'friggin' part ;-)...or perhaps not...). Folks tend to not understand that 1. it's so far only an application, and 2. the generic title may be "bag", but there are many ways to make a bag, and one can always come up with a novel and inventive way to make a *different* "bag". Be it materials, construction in detail, etc. And if it is patented, it does not stop others from making a bag of any other type.

[COUNTrecount]

I will be putting my collections of old iPhone/iPad packaging in my iBag, the beautiful, shiny white boxes that I can never throw away.

[roadcat]

Apple had to patent the bag. Before Samsung copies it. Even with a patent, Samsung will copy the bag, and line it with flame-retardant foil. To keep the flames from Galaxy 7 phones from burning customers. But customers get burned regardless when buying from Samsung.

[ReignOfError]

The old saw is that “if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.” What they don’t tell you is that people who haven’t read the patent application will assume that you are trying to patent the idea of catching mice and laugh derisively.

[Loud Mime]

flame-retardant foil? I like it.