Patents for multi-touch, iPad dock and MacBook Air awarded to Apple
Apple has been awarded several patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, one of which could be valuable ammunition in the flood of intellectual property lawsuits that has been swirling around the company lately.
PatentlyApple is reporting that Apple now holds the patents for one of the primary elements of multi-touch; two or more controllers operating in a master/slave configuration. Apple's patent appears to indicate that the company could be interested in licensing the technology (found in most multi-touch devices made by Apple, including the iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, and possibly the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad) to others, as they state that it can be used in ATMs, point of sale systems, e-ticket terminals, and so on.
Apple also received a patent for the hinged I/O port and housing that was found on the original MacBook Air models. Even though that hinged port is not on the most recent MacBook Airs, it could be used in future products.
The company now has design patents on the iPad dock, on the Universal Dock and Dock Insert, and that slick armband that the company sells for the fifth-generation iPod nano.
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Apple has been awarded several patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, one of which could be valuable ammunition in the flood of...
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Apple is at it again. I agree with Matt that this is getting a little out of control. Once again Apple heads to the USA trademark registration office to secure a few products that could one day rule the world as does all their other products. It is a monopoly of sorts. I love when people ask if I am going to get an iphone.
It happens once a day.
Hang on... they patented hinges?
I've had hinged I/O ports on a heap of laptops in the past. It's now an Apple patent?
This is getting a little worrying. I mean really, patenting is getting more and more liberal. Sure, patent the *method* of multitouch... but the actual concept itself?
Sony patented Trinitron, which was a method of display. What if they had patented colour TV?
The whole thing's a bit off.
Wow. Apple can now force running dog Android handset makers to pay a licensing fee if they are using a similar two-controller scheme. That increases the total cost of Android handsets, which either lowers the handset makers' profit margins or requires them to increase prices to maintain their margins.
And I wonder how many iPad wannabes are using the two-controller scheme...
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