Apple receives patent for original Apple iPad design; it's one more arrow in the quiver

The day before Steve Jobs stood on stage and introduced the Apple iPad, the Cupertino based firm filed an application with the USPTO for a patent on the design of the device. The company has finally received the patent, which is credited to Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive among others. One of the references for the tablet's design is a patent that dates back to 1947.

The good news for Apple is that it gives their attorneys another piece of paper that could be used in any of the cases involving a claim by Apple that a rival's tablet looks too much like Apple's device. The patent doesn't deal with any of the tablet's innards, but covers "The ornamental design for a portable display device, as shown and described." For those who keep track of such things, Apple received patent D669,069.

source: USPTO via Engadget