Apple granted patent on Mac OS X Dock

The trademark application launcher in Mac OS X is now covered by a patent, but the debate over Dock positioning endures.

by Tom Krazit

October 8, 2008 2:07 PM PDT

Apple now has a patent for the Dock in Mac OS X, shown here in the controversial left position.

(Credit: Apple)

It took quite awhile, but Apple has finally received a patent on one of the most recognizable features of Mac OS X.

The Dock--the panel that holds launchers for Mac OS X applications--has been deemed patent-worthy by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Apple first applied for the patent in late 1999, and AppleInsider notes the concept itself dates back to Apple CEO Steve Jobs' work at NeXT Computing.

Since there's really not much else to note about this announcement, let's do a quick survey: right Dock? Left Dock? Center Dock? I'm a center Dock man myself, although I have flirted with the left side.

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