USPTO confirms all claims of ‘Steve Jobs patent’

The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently confirmed all 20 claims of Apple’s U.S. Patent 7,479,949, commonly known as the “Steve Jobs patent.” A multitouch patent for a “Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics,” the USPTO tentatively ruled the patent invalid last December. However, that action was non-final, and the patent has now been strengthened due to the most recent finding. The confirmation of this key patent gives Apple a more secure position in the iPhone patent wars, and makes things trickier for the company’s rivals. [via FOSS Patents]