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Apple Wins iTunes Interface Patent
phalse phace writes "There aren't too many details, but C|Net's news.com.com is reporting that Apple was issued a patent for its iTunes software interface on May 4. If you remember, Apple recently applied for a patent for its iPod interface as well."
While software patents have become increasingly common in the past few years--leading to long and contentious strings of litigation over seemingly basic computing techniques--not all companies are taking Apple's approach.
A RealNetworks spokesman said his company had not sought any directly comparable interface patents for its 10-year-old media player software, for example.
Of course RealNetworks has not sought any interface patents! How could you patent bloat, resource-hogging, and un-usability!?!?
MS pioneered it long ago.
Integrate Keynote and LaTeX
And the exciting array of themes the iTunes interface supports is awesome. For example, brushed metal, brushed metal, and brushed metal. I haven't been this exciting about brushed metal since Rasterman and Enlightenment.
On a related note, Apple is doomed. They signed their own death warrant when they decided to only have one button on the mouse. I don't see the company surviving past 2012, and I'd recommend everyone who owns Powerbooks should smash them against the wall now before they're laughably obsolete.