Palindrome wrote:

Apple Computer may be forced to pay royalties to Microsoft for every iPod it sells after it emerged that Bill Gates's software giant beat Steve Jobs' firm in the race to file a crucial patent on technology used in the popular portable music players.

One crucial part was missing from this article: Prior Art. The iPod, in production and distribution, represents Prior Art and may be used to deny or reverse Microsoft's patent application.

RE: Apple blunder gives Gates iPod royalty