Creative exec on iPod
"We're second to them in market size. But now I think it is clear that our user interface has the largest market share in the world." -- Craig McHugh, president of Creative Labs, on the company's assertion that its recently awarded patent for navigating through a portable music device also covers the interface of Apple Computer's dominant iPod.
That was one of the things McHugh said during an interview yesterday, after I asked him about the implications of the company's patent. As explained in this story from the newspaper, Creative says it hasn't yet decided how to proceed. McHugh acknowledged that the potential options could include seeking royalties from Apple, but he declined to say whether his company has spoken with Apple about the issue. Creative is one of the key device makers working with Microsoft's digital music software and formats.
Posted by Todd Bishop at August 31, 2005 09:44 AM
Looking at this patent it is for using a three level hierarchy for storing music in an MP3 player by album, artist, genre, and track. I can't imagine any other way you would do this. I really wonder why the patent office grants patents to things like this. Putting ideas like this into legalese and getting a patent is wrong and actually encourages monopolies which is the exact opposite to the reason the patent office was implemented in the first place.
