Normally we don't report on every fart that gets patented by the big companies, but the following patent by Apple is actually pretty interesting: Apple has patented a method to store a user's ~/ directory (home directory) on external storage (the iPod?), making it portable. This will enable users to carry all their settings, programs, and files with them, so they can load up any Mac in the world with their own settings, programs, and files. Obviously, this is 'just' a patent, and by no means a definitive feature of Leopard or Leopard+1, but interesting nonetheless. Is this Apple's answer to Google's OS?
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Member since:2006-01-26
This has existed for a while now. How is it someone can patent an existing technology that they did not invent?
Well, first - the patent was filed a "while ago now" as well - November 25, 2002 in fact... so you'll have to define "for a while now" in order to determine who was 'first'..
Secondly, you can patent something which already exists unless someone proves prior art or obviousness... which apparently nobody has done (or they failed if they did).
Just because they've "secured" the patent doesn't mean it will hold up in court - and nobody will know that unless it's tested in court. So maybe Apple filed this patent to protect themselves from someone doing it and costing them needless amounts of money after-the-fact. This is a common tactic that companies employ now-a-days.
Edited 2006-10-11 21:10
Member since:2005-07-06
Well, first - the patent was filed a "while ago now" as well - November 25, 2002 in fact... so you'll have to define "for a while now" in order to determine who was 'first'..
Heh. This makes me wonder how one can file a patent on a technology that doesn't even exist yet, since someone has stated that Apple wanted to implement it in OSX 10.3, but couldn't work out the bugs.
I have a schematic for a perpetual motion machine, and I'd like to file a patent for it, although I haven't yet worked out all the bug... ;-)
Member since:
2005-12-02
This has existed for a while now. How is it someone can patent an existing technology that they did not invent? Mandrake Move anyone?