Nine Years Later Apple Dock Patent Secured

**Cody Overcash** · 10-08-2008, 12:11 PM

After a nine year wait the United States Trademark and Patent Office has awarded Apple Inc. with the patent for their dock. The dock was considered a revolutionary way to organize applications for quick access -- nine years ago. Now there are many other programs that mimic Apple's dock for other operating systems like Windows.

Better late than never. Apple is undoubtedly glad to have the dock patent under their belt. The patent which covers the magnification feature among other things. "Methods and systems for providing graphical user interfaces are described. To provide greater access and consolidation to frequently used items in the graphical user interface, a userbar is established which includes a plurality of item representations. To permit a greater number of items to reside in the userbar, a magnification function can be provided which magnifies items within the userbar when they are proximate the cursor associated with the graphical user interface."

What this means for other programs that provide dock functionality to Windows like Stardock and Rocktdock only time can tell. Apple does have a history of viciously protecting their intellectual property.

For more information concerning the details of the patent head over to uspto.gov.

[via slashdot]

**Eurisko** · 10-08-2008, 12:14 PM

I wonder how long it will take for multi-touch on a mobile device

**sziklassy** · 10-08-2008, 12:24 PM

If you run a dock program on windows... go buy a Mac!

**Reako** · 10-08-2008, 12:37 PM

Wow 9 years? That's insane.

Reako

**thetoothfairy** · 10-08-2008, 01:44 PM

oh goodness..... Apple I am sure will go after these other companies...... that is probably a promise.... Apple didn't wait nine long years for nothing.....

**Geekmommy4** · 10-08-2008, 01:53 PM

Sniff, sniff...I love my ObjectDock!

**ajl917** · 10-08-2008, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Geekmommy4

Sniff, sniff...I love my ObjectDock!

Same. The people who already have it SHOULD be OK if they go after the people...

**lillewis51** · 10-08-2008, 02:06 PM

o no... now apple has some thing else to sue people over besides their logo and name

**HITCH** · 10-08-2008, 02:18 PM

i remember is windows longhorn version has that dock thing almost equal as apples has.. in my opppinion it was more easy and with the possibility of manny apps inside....and with the option of custimize the icon inside but not quite sure what came first the egg of the chicken..

Originally Posted by lillewis51

o no... now apple has some thing else to sue people over besides their logo and name

the name apple , its a nature cant be pattent the name... maybe the name of a X company but not the word...

**Nukie** · 10-08-2008, 02:45 PM

Let the lawsuits begin! (pulls up chair and eats popcorn)

**GmAz** · 10-08-2008, 03:11 PM

What about the QuickLaunch bar on Windows circa Windows 98. With the exception of magnification, it pretty much does the same thing.

**lillewis51** · 10-08-2008, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by HITCH

the name apple , its a nature cant be pattent the name... maybe the name of a X company but not the word...

thank you for the correction. what i ment by name was the trouble mmi had with the iphone in the name

**Jgamble317** · 10-08-2008, 08:59 PM

well, now apple has someone else to pick on lol
Still though glad to see its secure with apple now

**bluaeon** · 10-08-2008, 10:48 PM

wow, i didnt even know that there was such a thing for windows user. haha

**WillyDavidK** · 10-09-2008, 01:01 AM

*sigh* another newspost I've already read on slashdot.

Originally Posted by Eurisko

I wonder how long it will take for multi-touch on a mobile device

I'm pretty sure this is one of the 200+ patents apple filed before the first iPhone ever came out (they were mentioned in the jan 07 keynote). Someone would basically have to invent their own, somehow different method of multi-touch. Even though multi-touch was already being developed several years ago, and not by Apple...

**sziklassy** · 10-09-2008, 01:24 AM

By the way Apple will probably have the company cease operation. They can;t do much about sales that have already happened. No big loss for the consumer.

**rwin84** · 10-09-2008, 09:27 AM

GO, APPLE GO! You got bit hard twenty something years ago for your graphical interface... Now is the time to bite EVERYONE for trying to cop yo stylo' (I dont actually talk like that, the ghetto just jumps up sometimes. Dont laugh I've seen movies about the ghetto. I KNOW! I KNOW about the skreets)

**Apple Freak** · 10-09-2008, 10:33 AM

This reminded me of Yz'Dock.
Which is already sued by Apple, but you can still download it from Google...

**tattoojack** · 10-09-2008, 11:22 AM

good thing i have the brico pack install saved to my external for my girls PC.
apple can suck an egg if they think their lawyers can make me remove it!

**khaoticsquirrel** · 10-11-2008, 12:08 PM

wow. i'm starting to get the feeling that apple is a little sue-happy...

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Thread: Nine Years Later Apple Dock Patent Secured

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After a nine year wait the United States Trademark and Patent Office has awarded Apple Inc. with the patent for their dock. The dock was considered a revolutionary way to

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