Image source: therapyapp411.com
Educational apps can help your child expand his vocabulary, improve his articulation skills, and learn how to use complete sentences. Some apps even function as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, giving a voice to nonverbal children and those with limited speech. One of these AAC apps, Speak for Yourself, is in the middle of a patent dispute that threatens to eliminate this means of communication for nonverbal children.
The Basics
Who: Apple Inc., the company that produced the app, and Prentke Romich Co., together with Semantic Compaction Systems (PRC/SCS).
What: PRC/SCS have filed a patent lawsuit alleging that Apple is guilty of patent infringement and copyright infringement.
Why: PRC/SCS have taken issue with Speak for Yourself’s use of multiple meanings associated with one icon. For example, an apple could represent “red” or “eat.”