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Apple submits patent application for iPod’s interface, invented in-part by CEO Steve Jobs

Monday, March 29, 2004 · 8:51 am · 14 Comments

“Apple has applied for a patent on the iPod’s interface, invented in-part by Steve Jobs. The company’s CEO is credited as one of three inventors of the ‘graphical user interface and methods of use thereof in a multimedia player,’” Simon Aughton reports for PC Pro.

Complete patent application here.

Categories: iPodDailyNews, MacDailyNews, News

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14 Comments

Semaphore Jones

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:14 am · Reply

The patent states it was lodged in October 2002. Is this current news??
SsnMx

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:15 am · Reply

wow, that’s a long document..

And it seems like few of us are awake at this time of the day…
Anyway… cool… Steve invented the UI. at least in-part, i know

Does anyone know what hardware he uses? PM, PB, iPod..?
MAybe he has an eMac in his office, haha
pkradd

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:20 am · Reply

Really old news going back to MWSF when SJ said the scroll wheel was “patent pending”. (That means a patent was applied for). Also the outer box of the iPod mini says “patent pending” under the photo of the wheel. Must be a slow news week!
Boeing777

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:23 am · Reply

Apple should submit a patent for all their products.
KonradK

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:30 am · Reply

Semaphore Jones,

> The patent states it was lodged in October 2002.
> Is this current news??

Patent applications typically published 18 months after they are filed. Initially only the title, inventors, and I believe in the US, a short abstract is publically disclosed by the Patent Office. From what is initially disclosed, it is often very difficult to determine what exactly the invention is. If the Apple application was filed in October 2002, the details would only be disclosed now, and therefore this is news.

Also please note that this is not a granted patent yet, just a patent application.
Semaphore Jones

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:51 am · Reply

Then can someone at the patent office please patent a quicker patent pending approval process because it’s patently obvious that is too bloody slow.

Can anyone clarify if this Jobs patent has been put into use and is out in the market now?
Jack A

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:54 am · Reply

Apple should patent Steve Jobs.
john

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:56 am · Reply

Is it usual for Patents like that to be applied for in the name of individuals? I thought when you worked for a company the intellectual property credits went to them, not you?
KonradK

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 11:43 am · Reply

> Then can someone at the patent office please patent a
> quicker patent pending approval process because it’s
> patently obvious that is too bloody slow.

Patents are complicated legal documents which confers significant advantages to the applicant. The process is by design slow to protect the rights of the applicant, competitors, and society as a whole. After the initial filing, the applicant has up to one year to file additional applications which can eventually be combined with the original application. These supplementary applications contain additional examples, data, etc. which strenghen the original application. The application is then reviewed by a patent examiner to determine whether the invention is novel. This involves a careful search of the patent, scientific, and technical literature and this takes time. Finally, if the patent is filed world wide, then it must go into the national phase of each country in which the applicant seeks protection. Time is also provided for third parties to present arguments why the application should not be allowed to grant.

> Can anyone clarify if this Jobs patent has been put into
> use and is out in the market now?

It is clear that the user interface of the iPod is already on the market. It obviously also clear that it is not necessary to have a granted patent before you market a product. If this application is granted as a patent, then Apple has grounds to sue third parties which market similar user interfaces and in some cases, retroactive damages have been awarded.

Folding to cure disease!
KonradK

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:07 pm · Reply

> Is it usual for Patents like that to be applied for in the name of individuals?
> I thought when you worked for a company the intellectual property credits went to them, not you?

Good question! Patents list inventors (individuals) and assignees (usually companies or other organizations but they may be individuals). The inventors are the individuals who made critical contributions to the invention (conceived the invention, reduced it to practice, etc). The assignee “owns” the patent. The inventor and assignee can be the same individual in which case the inventor also owns the patent.

Typically when a company files a patent application, one or more employees of the company are listed as inventors and these inventors assign their right to the patent over to the company. Assignment of patent rights to the company is usually stipulated in the individuals employment contract.
semaphore Jones

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:40 pm · Reply

Cheers KonradK
KonradK

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:42 pm · Reply

I just took a look at the patent application:

Inventors: Robbin, Jeffrey L.; (Los Altos, CA) ; Jobs, Steve; (Palo Alto, CA) ; Wasko, Timothy; (High River, CA)

Assignee Name and Adress: Apple Computer, Inc. Cupertino CA

This confirms that Jobs et al. are the inventors while Apple “owns” the patent.

Folding is fun!
Nagromme

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 2:16 pm · Reply

I guess this will silence the MANY people who keep saying that the iPod UI is by PortalPlayer and found on other players too… Funny how they never include an example when they claim that.
EmacJamz

Monday, March 29, 2004 - 4:42 pm · Reply

Hey now, what’s wrong with the eMac?! It’s a fantastic platform for people to become Mac users and OS X converts and the price is great.

Spoken from the home of 2 eMacs, 1 Mac Plus, 1 Mac Portable, 1 G4 Tower and 2 Mac SE’s.