Taiwanese government warns ultrabook makers about Apple patent

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economy urges notebook manufacturers to ensure that ultrabook design does not infringe Apple’s MacBook Air patents. The government is afraid of lawsuits.

Apple has several patents that relate to the appearance of the MacBook Air. Recently, the manufacturer was granted a patent application describing the tapered and wedge-shaped design. The Department of Intellectual Property of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs now fears that laptop manufacturers in the country will be sued for infringing the patent with their ultrabooks. Ultrabooks, like the MacBook Air, are thin and sturdy notebooks, and several manufacturers seem to have been inspired by Apple’s ultraportable.

“We advise PC manufacturers to be very careful,” department spokeswoman Xue Shuhua told Computerworld. The warning seems to be aimed primarily at Asus; the appearance of the Zenbooks resembles the design described in Apple’s patent. Competitor Acer is not concerned and declares that the appearance of its ultrabooks is not covered by the patent.

The Taiwanese government points out that HTC, among others, is under fire for patents. The outcome of these cases can have significant economic consequences, for example if an import ban is imposed.