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03/10/2001 Archived Entry: "Apple patents desktop themes"

The Register | Apple patents desktop themes
If this is upheld by the courts, and I'm sure we'll see some litigation, it is a very bad thing. Actually, this may be the thing to break software patents.

Microsoft's plan to providing Windows XP (aka Whistler) with interface themes (aka skins) may be knocked on the head by Apple, which has patented desktop themes.

The patent, granted on 13 February from an application made way back in May 1998, covers "systems and methods for providing a user with increased flexibility and control over the appearance and behaviour of objects on a user interface are described.

"Sets of objects can be grouped into themes to provide a user with a distinct overall impression of the interface. These themes can be invoked by calling a corresponding theme engine."

The patent is number 6,188,399, and you can read it in full here. It follows on from an earlier patent, 5,959,624, covering a "system and method for customising appearance and behaviour of graphical user interfaces".

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