Heavyweight contender Microsoft gave the ol' right-uppercut-left-hook combo on middleweight champion, Apple. (Sorry, Apple - as much as I love you, you're just not a heavyweight. Yet.)
Recently, the US Patent & Trademark office rejected a patent request for the beloved iPod because Microsoft had already filed for a similar request just 5 months prior.
That's right. That means Apple never filed for a patent with the inception of the iPod. I mean, let's talk protection here. If I were the inventor of say, the Pet Rock, you bet your sweet noggin that even though my Pet Rock might not sell, I'd still want a patent. As long as I could at least have "patent pending" slapped on that sucker because my Pet Rock? Totally better than yours.
But it's not as bad as one might think. This combo-throw is just merely a stun move, and Apple still has a few moments to collect itself and regain stamina for the next round. According to a recent article from AP, "Apple could file a declaration stating that it invented the technology before Microsoft filed its patent request — as evidenced by all the iPods already on the market at the time. In such cases, a company can ask the patent office to launch an investigation to determine the inventor."
No word was issued as to why Apple sat on this matter for so long.
And so the patent battle continutes. Stay tuned for the sequel to "Pirates of Silicon Valley: Revenge of the iPod".
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