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Apple Tries to Patent iPod User Interface

Posted by michael on from the rip-mix-patent dept.

harlows_monkeys writes "Apple's trying to patent several aspects of the iPod user interface. This one is particularly interesting because the claims are written in fairly clear and simple language, easy to understand by anyone. If this one is granted, it won't be because an overworked examineer was confused by deliberate obfuscation by the application (which is what I think happens for a lot of the ridiculous patents). About half the claims are for things that were implemented in prior players (e.g., Archos), and the other half are for things that are in many other common device interfaces (DVD players, PVRs) and the only novelty is that Apple put them on a portable music player."

10 of 426 comments (clear)

  1. I AM A PIMP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    And I'm gonna patent my bitches!! Oh, fp, propz to all my dead homiez

  2. Patents are absurd and need to be eliminated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

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  3. Fanboy by maelstrom · · Score: -1, Troll

    I love how all you Apple apologists try to spin everything that company does.

    Call a spade a spade.

    --
    The more you know, the less you understand.
  4. Information by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

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  5. Re:That's a very neutral summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I'm not sure when everybody is going to understand this. Microsoft has been declared a monopoly. They can't be treated like any other company. It's the law.

    I'm sorry. I had the get that out. I know that wasn't your point and what you said is very true. But Microsoft causes fear when they decide to throw their weight around because of said monopoly. As much as I love Apple, they can't do anything to control my life like my make my employer make me program in Windows all day.

  6. Re:FP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    YOU FAIL IT! YOU ARE TEH SUX0R!!! R0TFLMA0! BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!! W00T, W00T!

    NOW, GO HAVE S3X W1TH A GOAT!
    ASDFASDFJLKWQERIUOUASDOFHLKJWQEROIUASDFLKJOIWELK JA SDFOIUWQERLKJASKFJOWQIE75OIWUFLKAJFOIWQUERLKSAJFLK JWQEOIUALSDFJLQWEHROASIUDFLIJWELKRJALKSFHLKWJEQRIO UASLDFJOIWQELKASJFDLKHWELKRJALKSFJOIWEURLKASJFLKWQ EUROIUASDLFKJWQEOIULASDJFWEOIQUROIASDJFLKAHSDFLKJH ASDJOIWLKSJLSADHOIRUWAELIJASDLFIUWEOIJLKASJLKASHFI OUAWERUJASD LKASJFLIASJDFLKASFLEWUOIUJFH ALKSLKASJOIRULKSJFWOIEYAJSKHFJKALSHDUIYERJKLASHDFL AKJROIAYEIWALKJHHFJKASHERLKJHASKLHEWAOIUYASLKJHFLK A

    5UX0R!

    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.

  7. Re:Too far? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Whoah, that piece of racism certainly appeared out of nowhere. If you say that too much, stupid people might actually start believing in those biases.

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  9. Re:Patent text by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Congratulations! I see you have learned how to use the "copy" and "paste" functions of Microsoft Internet Explorer. We hope you will continue to explore the many features Microsoft products offer.

    To learn more about the capabilities of your computer, choose "Help..." from the menu, or visit the Knowlege Base at www.microsoft.com.

    - Tom Johovich
    Microsoft support

  10. Re:Where is the outrage? by Archibald+Buttle · · Score: 0, Troll

    Oh boo hoo!

    Apple users display no more of a "scarry cult group-think mentality" than your average bunch of Linux users.

    To say that all Apple has ever done is slap a candy coloured wrapper on stuff shows a real lack of insight and knowledge. You're probably one of those that dismisses Apple's efforts in creating a decent windowing system, and ignores the fact that at the time only Xerox had done that in the labs on computers that cost much more than $10,000, and their windows couldn't overlap and didn't automatically redraw. No, Xerox had done a WIMP system before, so Apple clearly could not innovate in that area. Please!

    As you said, we all borrow ideas from each other, and I agree, there should be no shame in that at all. Indeed as far as I can see Linux is almost nothing but ideas copied from elsewhere - even the idea of giving all the code away isn't new.

    The issue here though is that sometimes ideas are genuinely innovative, and that's why we have patents. In this particular case, having read the patent application, I would say that the claim is dubious and relies greatly on prior art. The patent is essentially a claim on the heirarchy order used in the iPod UI. The claims of the parent poster though that Slashdot is full of moaners complaining about people making money and trying to protect their inventions is, I would say, unfortunately mostly true.

    Sure some Mac users think that because they have a Mac they're cooler than other computer owners. Some Linux users think that because they run Linux they're smarter than Windows people. You know what though? It's all bullshit.