The Office of Patents of the U.S.A. rejected the request of Apple to patent the software that for of interface in iPod, because a previous request of an engineer of Microsoft exists who worked before in a company that designed the wheel of control of reproducer MP3.

Apple presented the request of registry of the patent in 2002, but the American recorder has refused it because five months before a called person John Platt had asked for copyright for a design very seemed. Platt works in the department of investigation of Microsoft, where it heads a group of development of intelligent interfaces.

The description that Platt does of the invention in the official documents describes perfectly how the menu of iPod works. Apple made different claims when knowing the existence on the attempt of patent of Platt, but the revision of the case him has not been favorable.

Another battle front for Microsoft?

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