> to scoop up important patents Or perhaps to refine that, to scoop important patents Apple is aggressively out there patenting obvious things that have been

> to scoop up important patents Or perhaps to refine that, to scoop important patents Apple is aggressively out there patenting obvious things that have been basic public knowledge / in use for years to try and lock up the field (eg: [0]). You can try and get your own patents but if you aren't strategically dependent on the IP for your own needs it is much easier and quicker to just nuke the field by putting as many things in public as possible so it's much harder for Apple (or others) to retro-patent broad classes of obvious features. [0] https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/11715301 https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloa...