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terms of its Industrial Design, but has
also managed to capture a dedicated
following because of its User Interface.
Microsoft may now claim intellectual
property rights on the iPod UI as a
result of a US Patent Office ruling.
After iPod tried to gain a patent for the
way it handles music data in its
interface the patent office refused,
cited a slightly earlier patent by
Microsoft. The result of this would allow
Microsoft to claim up to hundreds of
millions of dollars from Apple based on
the need for it to 'license' from the
software giant's original IP.
Apple is fighting back however and
look set to appeal the patent ruling to
the USPO's appeals board. The whole
ordeal brings the spotlight on
intellectual property rights and the
need to update policies to include
tech-centric design beyond mechanical
applications.
As this develops it is probably that
Apple will retain the upper hand on this
one however - Apple released the iPod
before Microsoft's patent was filed. In
the US, intellectual property rights are
won by the first inventor, not the first to
file, as is the case in Europe. Some
more details can be found at CNET.
