Apple Seeks Patent
Apple seeks patent on "method of making large sums of money with multimedia player":
Writing in Mac Observer, John Kheit suggests that Apple's
patent application for the iPod GUI, should it be
approved, may make it a market leader. "Considering that one of the major
distinguishing features of the iPod is that it is simply way easier to use
and navigate, having a patent on the interface presents a big obstacle to
knock-off artists," Kheit
writes. "Dell and other would-be pretenders to the MP3 throne will actually
have to come up with their own UI or license it from Apple. This makes HP's
decision just to outright license the iPod a lot more understandable. ...
Should this patent application be allowed by the USPTO, it may turn out to
be a big ace-in-the-hole for Apple. Had Apple secured patents on its desktop
user interface, many years ago, the entire landscape of the computer
industry would likely be very different today.
Posted by Craig at March 31, 2004 04:47 PM