Who Invented the Ipod?
Who invented the iPod? Well, you might answer Apple, and it is. But, according to a recent USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) ruling on Apple’s application for patent, the answer to who invented the iPod is Microsoft. Yes, the software giant CEO-ed by Mr. Bill Gates is credited with the invention of iPod.
The series of events that eventually led to the refusal of Apple’s patent application has all the twists and turns of a Hollywood potboiler. Apple had filed for patent for a “graphical user interface and methods of use thereof in a multimedia player”, but the patent examiner who had examined the application found out that Microsoft had already filed for a patent on the same technology earlier, and hence had to turn down Apple’s request citing ‘similar technology/patent found in prior art’. Interestingly, Microsoft’s date of filing of its patent application post dates the introduction of iPods in the market. In other words, Microsoft filed for patent after iPod had been introduced in the market and became a hit. In fact, on the argument on who invented the iPod, USPTO itself had mentioned the same as one of the reasons why they had to rule in Microsoft’s favor even when they knew that Microsoft is not the real answer to who invented the iPod?
The invention filed by Microsoft – by its employee John C Platt - that threw up the discussion on who invented the iPod was “a system for automatically generating music play lists based on one or more seed songs selected by a user”, also called ‘Auto DJ’.
Even as the debate on who invented the iPod still lingering, Microsoft sources said that they have no plans to block Apple’s iPod sales in any form. However, the present ruling on who invented the iPod might force Apple to pay royalties to Microsoft on every sale they make. Also the USPTO ruling lets Microsoft make and market their version of iPod.
If to set aside the patent war, the credit to who invented the iPod must go to Tony Fadell, a hardware expert, who first coined this idea of a compact MP3 player, only to be rejected by almost all companies but encouraged by Apple. He was made the team leader of a team of about 30 members, and thus iPods were born. Hence, for technologists, their answer to who invented the iPod is Tony Fadell and not even Apple or Microsoft.
For the customers however, irrespective of who invented the iPod, it is a handy device with excellent sound quality, storage and sound selection. It appears that the patent war on who invented the iPod might go on for many years to come, as more patents relating to iPod are still pending with the USPTO. But, for the end user, they don’t really mind who invented the iPod or behind scene litigations as long as they could lay hand over compact, high capacity music players at affordable rates from Apple/Microsoft stores.
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10-04-2009, 10:13 PM
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