Steve Jobs to Samsung on Inertia Scrolling: Don't Copy It. Don't Steal It.

In his deposition, Scott Forstall, Apple's Senior VP of iOS Software, reveals that Steve Jobs told Samsung not to copy iOS inertia scrolling, reports NetworkWorld.

Jobs previously revealed at the AllThingsD 2010 conference that he was so taken with the feature that he decided to work on a smartphone, putting plans for a tablet aside.

"I asked our people about it [a tablet], and six months later they came back with this amazing display. And I gave it to one of our really brilliant UI guys. He got [rubber band] scrolling working and some other things, and I thought, 'My God, we can build a phone with this.' So we put the tablet aside, and we went to work on the iPhone."


When asked about the discussions Jobs had with Samsung over the rubber banding patent, Forstall says:

I don't remember specifics. I think it was just one of the things that Steve said, here's something we invented. Don't - don't copy it. Don't steal it.

When asked if rubber banding was discussed again, Forstall says:

Rubber banding is one of the sort of key things for the fluidity of the iPhone and - and all of iOS, and so I know it was one of the ones that Steve really cared about.

I actually think that Android had not done rubber banding at some point and it was actually added later. So they actually went form sort of, you know, not yet copying and infringing to - to choosing to copy, which is sad and distasteful.

But I can't give you a specific recollection of - of Steve, you know, going over rubber banding with - with them in those meetings or not...

I expect it came up, because it's one of the key things we talked - you know, he and I talked about, but I don't know if it came up there.

Notably, Apple offered to license inertia scrolling to Samsung in November of 2010 but the company refused.

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