More Patent Madness MS reams Apple this time

[cjolley]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...411878,00.html

Could this really be true?
Stop the madness.

[KvHagedorn]

The iPod was launched in November 2001 but Apple waited until July 2002 to file for a patent; Microsoft snuck in to license some of the technology the previous May.

This is complete stupidity on Apple's part.. unreal.

[schmosef]

Doesn't the concept of "prior art" still apply?

[Tjalfe]

They never mentioned what was patented...other than a design patent, what was so unique the ipod that you could patent it?

[Sasq]

there is a bit more of a write up on this over at groklaw

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050814182026814

@schmo yes it does, but it still takes lawyers and is expensive.

[Jessterw]

Gotta love that a patent that largely covers one process or interface can overshadow another patent that specifically covers another just by mentioning it (after the latter was already an existing product of sorts).

Have a read over the patents in question and it's apparent that this is just another abuse of the patent system.

[Marshmallowman]

And MS say its all about *their* inovation in the same sentence...

[KvHagedorn]

there is a bit more of a write up on this over at groklaw

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050814182026814

@schmo yes it does, but it still takes lawyers and is expensive.

Now the damned lawyers running the country are making it even harder on the little guy and easier on the megacorp with a regiment of corporate lawyers..