I’ve been talking with PatentMonkey’s Cory about the latest breathless report of an Apple patent purporting to describe Zune-like sharing capabilities. Well, we’ve come to the conclusion that these patents don’t mean “Apple will make this iPod tomorrow night at send it to your Grandma’s house by Saturday.” It means that Apple has patented something with is fairly elementary and obvious and is doing it so that it might add this functionality later — or not. This is very similar to the JP Morgan iPhone nano story and we’re fed up. When it shows up on the FCC, then we can talk about “potential Zune apps for babies.” Until then, it’s pie-in-the-sky conjecture.
ZUNE APPLE PATENT MEANS IPHONE 3G ARRIVING IN AUGUST FOR $2 – Actually a patent from 2003 that describes the same functionality [PatentMonkey]
Apple iPods and iPhones to Start Sharing, Selling Music [Gizmodo]
Apple patenting Zune-like sharing, wireless buying [Electronista]
Unless I am missing something, this is merely an application for patent and not an approved patent. It still has to pass through examination.
The bigger questions are:
1. Does Microsoft also has a similar patent application?
2. If MS does have an application was it filed before Apples filing?