Verdict will have significant reverberations for copyright, DRM and innovation.
No further progress on this case is expected until at least June, but if a boring story about printer cartridges pops up you might want to pay attention. It could be a decision that leads to a virtual DRM on everything. READ : Supreme Court Printer Cartridge Case Could Be the Citizens United of Products | Gizmodo
Check out the infographic below for a crash course in how to conduct a [U.S.] patent search, and to figure out if you should even seek a patent at all. Good luck! We’re crossing our fingers for you. MORE: How to Conduct a Patent Search to Make Sure Your Brilliant Invention Doesn’t Already Exist (Infographic) | Entrepreneur
Apple has applied to create a patent for a system allowing authors to sign e-books.
Read: Apple applies for iBook autograph patent | The Bookseller.
A new patent suggests that Apple may add text-to-speech functionality to its Notes app, specifically for communicating in a different language.
The feature will translate text into a desired language, and then convert that text to speech that can then be read aloud. Any integration with Siri is unclear.
The translation feature will be listed as another option from the pop up menu — along with cut, copy and paste — that currently shows up on the iPhone upon selecting a particular phrase.
Google Translate for the iPhone currently offers a similar functionality. The app reads an English word or phrase in a different language of your choice.
A Notes integration could potentially prove much more useful, with key phrases like “How do I get to the train station?” available in different languages at the ready.
via Apple Patent Hints at Text-to-Speech Translation for Notes | Mashable.
Google…filed for a new patent that would make eBooks come alive with sounds. The sounds would be triggered by events within the book, such as lapping waves, an ominous crescendo, or maybe an outdoor market. The new application would have the sounds stored on a server and would be pushed out to the eBook users are reading at the time.
The full story: Google Submits New Patent for Triggered Sounds in eBooks | GoodEReader.
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