Apple has won a patent on the design of its iTunes Store, or to put it in the language of the patent itself, for a “graphical user interface for browsing, searching, and presenting media items”. The company filed for the patent in 2004, but it’s taken until now to have it approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office. When filed, it related to the iTunes digital music store, but in the years since the software/store has broadened to include video, apps, e-books and other content. “Up until this day, Apple’s competitors have yet to successfully find the magic bullet to counter Apple’s advantage. Today’s victory will only make it harder on them to challenge the iTunes Store going forward,” notes Patently Apple. Which is the big question now: could Apple use this patent to sue… well, just about anyone with an iTunes-like store or streaming service?
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