In this case, it looks like Apple is looking to fire the cheapest missiles that have a chance of hurting. The patent does indeed seem to cover the packaging of

In this case, it looks like Apple is looking to fire the cheapest missiles that have a chance of hurting. The patent does indeed seem to cover the packaging of (what used to be called in OS9 days) "apple data detectors" with a computer. IIRC, Steve Jobs, in his iPhone announcement keynote speech, said that they've filed about 200 patents. This shows how serious they are about not only building these path breaking things, but also about protecting their inventions. I haven't checked, but it seems a bit unlikely that those 200 applications (or the late part of them) haven't yet been granted. The situation, in other words, looks like a ticking time bomb for the other phones looking to copy the iphone - android or whatever. Is there anyone who's analyzed apple potential patent portfolio in the mobile space?