Microsoft Invented iPod... WHAT?!

[obtix]

http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/168601146

[cwtnospam]

According to Bill "We love to be first" Balmer, Microsoft is first most of the time. They've got the money to rewrite history to prove it. Theirs was the first OS, the first GUI, the first browser, and if I'm not mistaken, I believe they have the patent on the wheel. :D

[obtix]

looking for a little more relevant answer then that

[chabig]

It's hard to provide a more relevant answer since the article doesn't tell us the patent title, it's number, or provide a link. However, the patent was filed in May 2002, which is 6 months after the iPod hit the market. It is likely (but we don't know for sure without seeing the patent and it's application) that the iPod may prove to be prior art for the patent.

If Apple see this as a threat you can bet they will challenge the patent in court.

But cwtnospam is right. Microsoft sees the end of their dominance ahead, and they're patenting everything they can think of, trying to dig their fingers into everyone's business in a last ditch attempt to avoid sliding into irrelevance.

Chris

[jbc]

Here's another perspective from Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/digitalentertainment/2005/08/12/microsoft-apple-patent-cx_ld_0812microsoft.html?partner=yahootix).

[yellow]

Apple made a booboo and didn't properly patent the hierarchical menu that the iPod uses. Microsoft did patent it, AFTER the iPod had already hit the market. Most likely this is the tactic Apple will use to get the patent away from MS. Or they'll have to license the GUI.

[cwtnospam]

I seem to remember hierarchical menus being used as far back as the early 80s, probably because I didn't use computers much before then. The click wheel seems relatively new, but patenting the menus seems a bit like patenting breathing to me. :eek:

[kungfumath]

The click wheel seems relatively new, but patenting the menus seems a bit like patenting breathing to me. :eek:

I agree... I can't believe that people in this country have become so greedy that we now have to patent piddly things like menus. This has become rediculous.

[lightsanddesign]

well really - McDonalds now has the phrase "I'm lovin it" trademarked so patenting a menu doesnt seem to bad an idea.. You might as well patent as much as you can now cause one day it wont be available anymore

l&d

[mclbruce]

I agree... I can't believe that people in this country have become so greedy that we now have to patent piddly things like menus. This has become rediculous. This is nothing new. Somebody pulled this scam on the Automobile Industry when it was young, and got rich doing so. The man's name was George Seldon, a patent attorney who "Invented the Automobile."

http://www.bpmlegal.com/wselden.html