US Patent Office Grants Patent To Amazon For Photography Against A White Background

[6Foot2]

Link 1: You Can Close The Studio, Amazon Patents Photographing On Seamless White - DIY Photography

 

Seems a little odd as this is not a new technique/idea?

 

Link 2: Patent Images [uS Patent Office web pages related to this application/grant]

 

Don't photographs against a seamless white background from now on unless you have asked Amazon for permission first?

[FN-GM]

Ah use cream instead!

[GREED]

Ummmmm.... how can they do this?

[localzuk]

As far as I can see, it fails on at least 2 of the patentability requirements!

 

1. It isn't novel.

2. It's obvious - it makes use of primary school level physics - ie pointing lights at a white background...

 

So, yeah, this is nonsense. Entirely unenforceable too. How can anyone prove that someone else used this set-up to take a photo?

[Arthur]

Don't photographs against a seamless white background from now on unless you have asked Amazon for permission first?

No (because that's not what they are patenting).

 

They're patenting a specific machine (a combination of apparatuses in extremely particular configurations). Not "taking a photo with a white background". A studio layout with a front light and four rear lights at specific heights to a platform with specific angles and intensities, a specific f-stop, and specific ISO.

 

The question of whether it should be patentable is easy – yes, it’s okay to patent a configuration of machines. (Source)

 

 

Edited May 10, 2014 by Arthur

[penfold_99]

Ummmmm.... how can they do this?

 

They can because the US patent system is broken.

[garethEds]

Apple are buggered then. Don't they film and photo in front of white backgrounds?

 

GJE

[GREED]

Quick. Someone also patent a shadow dancing really badly to a primary colour background... They they are really buggered

[sonofsanta]

Prior art solutions for achieving such a result for capturing images and/or video of objects set against a true white background include solutions that often involve some type of image retouching, post processing, “green screen” techniques, or other special effects and image and video manipulation to achieve the result of an object set against a true white background.

 

Because adding a Levels layer is a really advanced technique

[jinnantonnixx]

Much as a I dislike this sort of thing, I actually think they have a point. They're trying to patent their 'secret sauce' for their style of product-shot lighting, rather than the concepts - which let's face it, are not novel. I've got quite a few studio lights myself and a fair idea of what I'm doing. Amazon have worked out the lighting profiles, ratios and angles - quite precise - which they use as a standard for their product shots and they've described them in a patent.

 

However, I've found a loophole in case you wanted to emulate exactly the Amazon shooting style.

The patent describes the workflow.

 

If you switch on the FRONT lights before the REAR lights, you've worked around the patent. Ta-da!! I thank you.

Edited May 12, 2014 by jinnantonnixx

[GREED]

*rings patent office to file method*