A near three-year-long attempt by Apple Computer to patent the menu-based software interface of its popular iPod digital music player has ultimately proved unsuccessful, AppleInsider has discovered.
The company's patent application, which lists Apple vice president Jeff Robbin and Apple chief executive Steve Jobs as two of its primary inventors, received a final rejection last month from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Standing in Apple's way appears to be a prior filing by inventor John Platt, who submitted a patent application for a similar software design for a portable device in May of 2002 -- just five months before Robbin submitted his claims on behalf of Apple.
News source: AppleInsider
The company's patent application, which lists Apple vice president Jeff Robbin and Apple chief executive Steve Jobs as two of its primary inventors, received a final rejection last month from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Standing in Apple's way appears to be a prior filing by inventor John Platt, who submitted a patent application for a similar software design for a portable device in May of 2002 -- just five months before Robbin submitted his claims on behalf of Apple.
News source: AppleInsider
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This patent of his was filed about a year after the iPod was introduced and it was rejected a number of times. I seriously cannot understand how the guy got away with it.
if apple were the ones who created it... why dont they get to patent it?
I don't think Apple did create the interface did they
the only difference is Apple made their scroll wheel from a touchpad. that doesn't make it unique.
So the fact that Apple has that idea patented is really good for them. A lot of new things come from old ideas every day. It is the fact that Apple has an extremely good and rather unique implementation of the idea that gives them the edge.
nuff said.
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