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http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/03/01/apple.patents.zune.case/

Apple granted patent for Zune-like casing

updated 12:25 pm EST, Thu March 1, 2007

 

Apple patents Zune case


Apple today successfully patented an "electronic device formed with doubleshot injection molding." Although seemingly dry, the patent (originally filed in August 2005) effectively refers to the technique used in Microsoft's Zune player to create its distinctive glowing border effect, creating two differently colored edges to a single plastic shell. It is yet unknown whether Apple intends to use the patent directly in future iPod or Mac products, but the existence of the patent suggests that the Cupertino-based company has contemplated use of the technique. Apple last year settled with after the latter company won a patent on the the menu system used by Apple in its iPod portable media players. Apple's CEO Steve Jobs announced after the settlement that Creative was lucky to have filed for the patent first.



by MacNN Staff

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  1. FastAMX79

    Junior Member

    Joined: Sep 2000

    0
    03/01, 12:41pm | report spam | Reply |

    I was...

    going to click the link in the story, but it goes to electronista. Time to use Google!!

  1. jarod

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2005

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    03/01, 01:01pm | report spam | Reply |

    LOL

    So Apple will make money off the 10 zune units sold worldwide. LOLOLLLLL

    I love it when Microshit gets it up the a**.

  1. Philip J. Fry

    Mac Enthusiast

    Joined: Jul 2005

    0
    03/01, 01:59pm | report spam | Reply |

    Come on...

    This linking to your other site to gain traffic is ridiculous. At least state that it's going to the other site instead of just linking to it.

  1. cblackmo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2006

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    03/01, 02:03pm | report spam | Reply |

    original iPod

    I remember thinking when I first saw the Zune - "I can't believe they copied the original iPod's casing too!" One difference being that Apple chose to keep their casing clean and clear colored, rather than mucking it up with some murky looking green or blue color.

  1. jayparry

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2005

    0
    03/01, 02:29pm | report spam | Reply |

    Typos

    Guys can you proofread these? The "latter company won..."? Which company?

    And in the other top story it says "Justing"

  1. iSkippy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2004

    0
    03/01, 03:18pm | report spam | Reply |

    better taste?

    Maybe Apple will show better taste when combining colours. Brown and green? Yecch!

  1. testudo

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    03/01, 05:55pm | report spam | Reply |

    latter company

    Yeah, it implies Microsoft, but the latter company in question is Creative, which isn't mentioned until later in the article.

    Oh, and I like the phrase "that Creative was lucky to have filed for the patent first." Lucky? In what sense? Lucky they came up with the idea before apple, and filed a patent before apple did? You got to love how Jobs tries to make it sound like Creative just fell into the patent. And if it were Apple who got the patent, I'm sure it would be expounded upon about their rich design history, not that they were "lucky" to get it first.

  1. Luke MacWalker

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Dec 2005

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    03/01, 06:47pm | report spam | Reply |

    re: testudo

    I think on this one you're not really fair or honest. This particular patent was so obvious because it has been used for many years in many other products by many companies, maybe even before Creative was founded and anyway before any MP3 player was invented. Except that the new patent was granted for use on a portable device. Big deal, indeed! Maybe when the time for personal spaceships come, someone will have been granted a patent for the use of a wheel to manoeuvre them... I think that the patents system is out of control nowadays and it may not be long before it become obvious that it achieves the opposite of what it was supposed to do...

  1. LouZer

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2000

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    03/01, 11:14pm | report spam | Reply |

    gee

    This particular patent was so obvious because it has been used for many years in many other products by many companies, maybe even before Creative was founded and anyway before any MP3 player was invented.

    It sounds almost like the 'revolutionary' easy to use interface that people crowed about the ipod wasn't that revolutionary, let alone an apple invention.

  1. UberFu

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2002

    0
    03/02, 11:11am | report spam | Reply |

    was it me...

    or did the MacNN writer skip around abit in the middle ?

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