p2pnet - rss feed: Apple iPod interface in danger
p2pnet.net News:- For the moment, it seems the technology behind Apple’s menu-based software iPod interface is virtually open source.
“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,” says AppleInsider.
“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.”
Platt describes his invention as a system or method that "generates playlists for a library collection of media items via selecting a plurality of seed items, at least one which is an undesirable seed item” and it’s very similar to iPod’s, says the story, going on:
“In an attempt to trump Platt’s application, Robbin through his patent lawyer petitioned the patent office to review an amended set of claims last November, shortly after his initial filing had been rejected in light of Platt’s.
“Upon review, the patent office in July issued a 6-page document pointing to prior claims made by Platt and offering its final rejection of Robbin’s application.
AppleInsider says it’s unclear what Apple will now do.
There’s a three-month window in which Robbin and Apple can appeal the decision, request reconsideration, or file a continuation of their original application, it says, but, “With the fuses burning short on a number of patent filings from the early evolution of digital music players, it has yet to be determined who will ultimately score ownership in the industry.
“As it stands right now, Robbin’s iPod software design is open territory that Apple cannot necessarily protect others from duplicating.”
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See:-
AppleInsider - Apple fails to patent iPod interface, August 9, 2005
PC Pro - Artists rebel over Sony’s iTMS stance, August 10, 2005
August 11th, 2005 at 8:31 am
Gee… don’t tell me that they didn’t get their patents organised before they started selling products based on them? Silly Steve!
This is a perfect example of how the us patent system is gonna wipe out us industry. Makes you wonder if it was outsourced to another country doesn’t it? It’d certainly explain some of their recent decisions.