[Aaron Roma]

http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/03/01/apple.zune.like.patent/

"Apple today was successfully granted a patent for an "electronic device formed with doubleshot injection molding."... The patent suggests that Apple has at least explored the idea of pursuing what Microsoft ultimately chose as the defining aspect of its music player's style."

It seems that Apple has filed for, and been awarded, a patent on a double-shot effect similar to the process Microsoft has used on the Zune players.  Apple was granted the patent today, March 1st.  The patent can be found here.  What is most interesting about this little turn of events, is that Apple apparently filed for this patent in August 2005, a year before the Zune's release.  Now that Apple has been awarded this patent, I'm interested to see if there will be any legal play between Apple and Microsoft over Zune's use of this technique.

[Aaron Roma]

http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/03/01/apple.zune.like.patent/

"Apple today was successfully granted a patent for an "electronic device formed with doubleshot injection molding."... The patent suggests that Apple has at least explored the idea of pursuing what Microsoft ultimately chose as the defining aspect of its music player's style."

It seems that Apple has filed for, and been awarded, a patent on a double-shot effect similar to the process Microsoft has used on the Zune players.  Apple was granted the patent today, March 1st.  The patent can be found here.  What is most interesting about this little turn of events, is that Apple apparently filed for this patent in August 2005, a year before the Zune's release.  Now that Apple has been awarded this patent, I'm interested to see if there will be any legal play between Apple and Microsoft over Zune's use of this technique.

[djosephs]

This is not a patent yet. It is only a published patent application. In fact, Apple has received a non-final rejection from the USPTO - take a look at the web site. The blog post is simply incorrect. Care should be taken to be sure that reposting of stories are correct and that when someone says a patent has issued, a real patent has issued not just an application being published. Merely filing an application and getting it published is, of course, much different than receiving an actual patent. The source of this story is wrong so care should be taken before re-posting info about patents and patent applications. Dave