Shares of personal camera maker GoPro fell 12 percent as trading volume doubled yesterday following the publication of a recently awarded Apple camera patent (via Bloomberg). Apple was granted US patent no. 8,934,045 yesterday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a remote control camera system powered by a wrist-worn device.

apple-gopro-patent
Originally filed by Kodak in 2012 and subsequently acquired by Apple in a much larger patent deal, the patent details a remote digital camera system that can be controlled by a smartwatch or phone. In its description, the patent seeks to address a wind resistance flaw present in select GoPro cameras that may lead to image artifacts.

According to Dougherty & Co. analyst Charlie Anderson, the GoPro stock plunge was led by investors concerned that Apple may encroach on the extreme action-adventure camera market currently dominated by GoPro. Investor reaction to this patent appears to have been overblown, however, as Apple patents a variety of technology innovations, most of which are not used in consumer products. And in this case, the technology wasn't even Apple's to begin with, making it even less clear whether the company has any intention of following up on it.

Tags: GoPro, Patent

Top Rated Comments

originprankster Avatar
107 months ago
Apple may sue GoPro and other camera makers

You guyz..... so naive. Apple may file patents for a product it may not go to market with but that won't stop them from suing others for patent infringement. Or if they don't sue them, they will approach companies and demand something favorable, maybe a partnership, or face Apple's huge army of lawyers in a patent lawsuit. Apple employs the largest number of lawyers last i read. They are at least as much about snuffing out innovation elsewhere as they are about innovation in house. More legal snuff lately than innovation. If Go Pro wants to go near a watch that controls a camera (or whatever the patent was granted for which might be pretty obvious) then they will tell Go Pro to pay up or proceed at their own risk. Investors know that this may take a big chunk out of Go Pros ability to innovate. They know how much Apple likes to sue or leave open the threat of a lawsuit. It's why the stock price went down.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jack Delgado Avatar
107 months ago
Apple going into the Action camera business is so extremely unlikely that I can hardly see straight. They would go into the plain-old camera business before they would do something niche like that... and we all know how likely they are to go into the standalone camera business.

Not likely.

Or whatever, maybe 2015 will be the year of the rugged 2-inch iPhone with 4K recording.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mashurrab Avatar
107 months ago
I don't think Apple will go after GoPro or compete in thier business
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rhoydotp Avatar
107 months ago
Never going to happen, GoPros ... are waterproof.

actually, they are not. GoPros do come with a waterproof case, though.

someone also mentioned that Apple will not honor water damage. well, GoPro does this, too. unless you can prove that the case broke with regular use or you have dipped the GoPro in water using the skeleton case, they will also not honor the warranty ... true story from a lot of people in GoPro-centric forums :cool:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rhoydotp Avatar
107 months ago
Maybe Tim wants to buy some GoPro stock.
either that or maybe has intentions to buy GoPro (the company) :apple: :p
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
k1121j Avatar
107 months ago
its simple watch controls phone


no new device here
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
iOS 16

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to Developers [Update: Public RC Available]

Tuesday March 21, 2023 10:25 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future. Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...