if the inventor could not license or sell this patent, this fairly common feature might not exist today. Bzzzzt, I strongly disagree with this supposition. If

if the inventor could not license or sell this patent, this fairly common feature might not exist today. Bzzzzt, I strongly disagree with this supposition. If the inventor approached Apple, was rebuffed, and then Apple copied the invention in the creation of its iOS ecosystem, I might agree with you. However, it appears that what has happened here is that the invention was independently created subsequent to the patent filing. Which suggests to me that it would have been invented any ways and thus the ability to patent the idea has no bearing on whether the invention would or would not have been discovered. p.s. By :"bzzzzt," I mean that I am "buzzing in," not making a rude noise intended as an insult!!!