After submitting a rather huge document back in 2008 it looks like Apple have now had multi-touch patentented. The document mention Steve Jobs by name and covers the dtection of “one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display, applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device, and processing the command”.
Ahh.. that could put a spanner in the works for any potential multi-touch decice. Palm Pre anyone ? Rumours are already suggesting a potential lawsuit and Tim Cook has been quoted as saying..
“I don’t want to talk about any specific company. I’m just making a general statement that we think competition is good. It makes us all better. And we are ready to suit up and go against anyone. However, we will not stand for having our IP ripped off, and we’ll use whatever weapons that we have at our disposal. I don’t know that I could be more clear than that.”
Link – Worldofapple.com
Credit – Morgan Butler