Apple continues to apply for patents in the name of Steve Jobs, who should have already passed away.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. However, of the patents filed by Apple in 2023, 12 patents mention the name of ``Steve Jobs'' as the inventor. Research company GreyB explains why the late Jobs' name continues to be used in patent applications.
Steve Jobs is Still Filing New Patent Applications!
Below is a portion of the ' List of Patents Obtained by Steve Jobs ' compiled by the New York Times in 2011. There are a wide variety of patents for desktop machines, notebook machines, iPhones, iPods, etc.
According to GreyB, the last patent (design) that Jobs was involved in inventing during his lifetime was related to the design of the entrance to
What design patent did Steve Jobs receive after his death? -GIGAZINE
In the United States, it can take several years from application to publication of a patent. For this reason, in addition to the Apple Store entrance design, there are many other designs that Jobs applied for during his lifetime and were approved after his death. Below is a table summarizing the top 20 most cited patents that were filed during Jobs' lifetime and published after his death.
| Patent number | Application year | Release year | Number of citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD677659S1 | 2011 | 2013 | 233 |
| USD662503S1 | 2010 | 2012 | 215 |
| USD673948S1 | 2011 | 2013 | 204 |
| USD675612S1 | 2011 | 2013 | 200 |
| US8564544B2 | 2007 | 2013 | 164 |
| USD670286S1 | 2010 | 2012 | 144 |
| USD668263S1 | 2010 | 2012 | 136 |
| USD669071S1 | 2011 | 2012 | 127 |
| USD656496S1 | 2010 | 2012 | one two three |
| USD682262S1 | 2010 | 2013 | 122 |
| USD662922S1 | 2010 | 2012 | 107 |
| USD697511S1 | 2010 | 2014 | 92 |
| USD683345S1 | 2010 | 2013 | 90 |
| USD677664S1 | 2010 | 2013 | 90 |
| USD677666S1 | 2011 | 2013 | 80 |
| USD669069S1 | 2010 | 2012 | 77 |
| USD689480S1 | 2011 | 2013 | 75 |
| USD672343S1 | 2010 | 2012 | 75 |
| US8619038B2 | 2007 | 2013 | 69 |
| USD697918S1 | 2011 | 2014 | 68 |
Some of the patents published after Jobs' death include those that were filed ``after Jobs' death.'' In those patents, Jobs' ideas and comments are involved in the basis of the invention. Below is a list of patents filed since 2018 that include Steve Jobs' name as an inventor.
| Patent number | title | Application year |
|---|---|---|
| USD976939S1 | Display Screen Or Portion Thereof With Graphical User Interface (a display screen or part thereof with a graphical user interface) | 2020 |
| USD987620S1 | Portable Computer (portable computer) | 2021 |
| USD978857S1 | Portable Display Device (portable display device) | 2020 |
| USRE49429E1 | Computing Device (computing device) | 2021 |
| USD986882S1 | Portable Display Device (portable display device) | 2019 |
| USD987624S1 | Portable Display Device (portable display device) | 2021 |
| US11586348B2 | Portable Multifunction Device, Method, And Graphical User Interface Supporting User Navigations Of Graphical Objects On A Touch Screen Display (Graphical user interface and portable multifunction device that supports user navigation of graphical objects on touch screen displays) | 2021 |
| US11604559B2 | Editing Interface (editing interface) | 2021 |
| AU2022201622B2 | Touch Screen Device, Method, And Graphical User Interface For Determining Commands By Applying Heuristics (Graphical user interface and touch screen devices to apply heuristics to determine commands) | 2022 |
| USD998606S1 | Electronic Device (electronic device) | 2019 |
| US20230261685A1 | Portable Electronic Device With Two-Piece Housing (portable electronic device with two bodies) | 2023 |
| AU2023216869A1 | Touch Screen Device, Method, And Graphical User Interface For Determining Commands By Applying Heuristics (Graphical user interface and touch screen devices to apply heuristics to determine commands) | 2023 |
In the United States, intellectual property rights can be renewed in the form of 'applying for a patent renewal.' For this reason, the renewal of patents for Apple products will increase the number of patents that include Jobs as an inventor. For example, a patent regarding the shape of the iPhone was first filed in April 2008, and updated versions have been filed frequently since then.
Below is a table summarizing patents related to the shape of the iPhone. All patents list Jobs as the inventor.
| Patent number | Application period | Release year/time |
|---|---|---|
| USD615083S1 | June 2008 | May 2010 |
| USD620004S1 | September 2009 | July 2010 |
| USD629799S1 | March 2010 | December 2010 |
| USD633090S1 | July 2010 | February 2011 |
| USD675612S1 | February 2011 | February 2013 |
| USD696663S1 | September 2012 | December 2013 |
| USD724078S1 | September 2013 | March 2015 |
| USD778278S1 | November 2013 | February 2017 |
| USD869460S1 | February 2017 | December 2019 |
| USD922999S1 | December 2019 | June 2021 |
| USD925523S1 | July 2020 | July 2021 |
Furthermore, if a company other than Apple ``cooperates with Apple to obtain a patent for a new invention based on Jobs' invention,'' Jobs' name will be registered as the inventor. As examples, GreyB cites ``a patent related to automatic vehicle control applied by Savant Systems' ' and ``a patent related to a media player progress bar applied by Teslamedics .''
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