Florida Man Claims Apple Stole His Designs, Sues For $10 Billion

A Florida resident claims Apple copied his 1992 drawing of an "electronic reading device," and he wants 10 billion dollars.Thomas Ross applied for a patent for his ERD in 1992, according to macrumors.com. His concept was that of a flat rectangular device, with a backlit touchscreen, that would include some form of communication device, modem and/or telephone. His ERD would also enable users to read books electronically. Ross claims he has suffered "great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured in money."  His application for a patent was declared abandoned in 1195, because he didn't pay the application fee. Ross' suit seeks $10 billion in damages, and a 1.5% royalty on Apple's sales of IOS devices. He filed to copyright his drawings of the ERD in 2014. That's like closing the barn door after the horse is already out, don't you think?