Apple’s Slide-To-Unlock Patent Invalidated By German Court

The Federal Patent Court of Germany has ruled that Apple’s claims to its slide-to-unlock patent are invalid as previously granted.

According to Foss Patents, the court ruled that none of the 14 amendments Apple has proposed can be used. The five judge panel led by Judge Vivian Sredl listened to a full-day hearing before issuing their decision.

Two of the judges on the panel come from engineering backgrounds.

As expected in the event of a loss, Apple is already planning to appeal the decision to Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. Immediately following the court’s decision, Apple filed several amended claims in relation to its appeal.

Involved in the patent dispute are Apple, Motorola Mobility, and Samsung. It is believed that all three involved companies knew since December that Germany’s Patent Court would invalidate Apple’s patent claims.

This is not the first time Apple’s slide-to-unlock patent has been thrown out of a national court. Previous rulings in Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands all invalidated Apple’s patent claims.

Apple did score an early success in Germany, receiving an injunction for the patent against two Motorola devices in February 2012. Today’s ruling will not affect that injunction as Apple appeals the court’s decision.

Apple’s challenge for its slide-to-unlock claim only covers several implementation types. Other manufacturers have already found new ways around the patent. Apple in Germany is not attempting to challenge other slide-to-unlock options.

Do you think patent wars over such basic concepts have gotten out of hand? Apple’s recent patent loses in various countries appear to be the start of a shift away from patent control, at least in terms of basic patent filings.