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."

Comments

Here is the patent

[angle_slam]

The patent number is 6,731,312. The first claim is

1. A computer readable medium comprising media player application code which implements the following procedures:
generating in a user interface an application window having a window frame and a plurality of stiles to define a plurality of panes within said frame;
displaying in a first one of said panes a user selectable index of a plurality of media files;
displaying in a second one of said panes first selected information for said media files; and
displaying in a third one of said panes second selected information for said media files
wherein said second and third panes are each initialized with a selection to view all of said user selectable index of the plurality of media files in said first pane.

Re:Good for them...

[aristotle-dude]

This is an urban myth. Apple actually paid money to Xerox for access to their GUI lab and they hired away a guy from Xerox.

You must be thinking of MS which did not pay Xerox anything and ripped off Apple.

Re:Lsongs picture link

[bubba451]

Here's a better comparison (I made the window bigger and put it in Browse mode).

The only difference, besides Lsongs taking a few beatings from an ugly stick, is that for some reason its controls are on the bottom.

But everything else, down to the File/Edit/Controls/Visualizer/Advanced menus and the eye icon for Browse is the same.

Pretty embarrassing.