Why Samsung Cited 2001: A Space Odyssey In A Legal Fight With Apple

Today, consumers have a wide range of Samsung tablets to choose from, but that wasn't always the case. In 2011, Apple tried to block the sale of Samsung tablets, claiming they infringed on the iPad. Since you can easily buy Samsung tablets today, you know how that legal battle turned out. What you might not know is that one small (but noteworthy) component of Samsung's legal strategy involved citing "2001: A Space Odyssey" to show that Apple didn't invent the tablet. 

Samsung introduced this argument to demonstrate that "prior art" of a device reasonably similar to the iPad existed. Per the United States Patent and Trademark Office, an invention might not be patentable if publicly available prior descriptions or depictions of a similar idea prevent a new invention from meeting the "novelty" condition necessary for a patent to be issued. Samsung applied this principle in its legal argument by pointing to a clip from "2001" in which the characters used devices similar enough to an iPad to call into question the notion that an iPad is a unique and novel invention.

Samsung based its legal dispute on a clip of a tablet-like device from Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", arguing that Apple didn't create something unique with the iPad. The company pointed out that Apple's D'889 patent featured a tablet very similar to the device from the film, with a rectangular shape, large display screen, narrow borders, and thin form factor. 

That's not to suggest the case hinged exclusively on this argument and ultimately, Samsung created tablets for those who don't want an iPad, but it also had to pay Apple millions in damages as a result of lawsuits. All of which brings up an important question: In a world where so many real inventions are inspired by sci-fi tech, when does something stop being patentable? It's hard to say, but it is clear that lawyers aren't afraid to leverage science-fiction masterpieces when these questions turn into legal fights.