Apple wins patent for rotating and scaling documents on touch screens

(Credit: Apple)

When considering the bitter rivalries that have emerged in the smartphone industry between Apple and its competitors (Samsung, Google, HTC, Nokia), one needs only to review the patent portfolio of each company to see from where it all stems.

To argue that the patent system is broken is another article for another day, but with Apple receiving the grant from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for document translation, rotation, and scaling, it is safe to assume that the intellectual property battles will only heighten.

Sure, in 2007, just as the iPhone was released, Apple had to teach the general public about things like pinching and pushing in order to zoom in on documents presented on its touch-screen phone.

But now, after five generations of iPhones (and any number of competing smartphones), there most likely are not many smartphone owners that do not understand the process.

(Credit: Screenshot by Joe Aimonetti/CNET)

Also included in this patent win for Apple is the process for scrolling through lists on a touch-screen device. Again, another process we are all familiar with -- even to the point of wondering, "how could Apple patent this, isn't it obvious?"

To answe... [Read more]