Microsoft Awarded Patent for the Mac OS?

Alexander Wolfe warns Apple Beware: Microsoft Awarded Web Phone Patent, U.S. Patent 7,225,409, Graphical User Interface For A Screen Telephone". He says it sounds iPhone like to him, and suggests Steve Jobs should use his iPhone to call his lawyer. Alexander thinks Microsoft's patent is not "just for a phone, but for the underlying software". I guess the other Alexander (Bell) should be worried, too. Apple claims that the "underlying software" in the iPhone is the Mac OS. The "underlying software" in the Mac OS is UNIX. Does this mean that Microsoft has patented UNIX?

I'm no lawyer, so don't call me.

My not-a-lawyer interpretation differs from Alexander's reading. I agree with Alexander that "the patent application shows some very broad claims". I read it as a patent for software to implement a GUI web phone on any computer, not neccesarily a cellphone, or a mobile device. While I didn't spend hours analyzing the patent, my quick scan picked up that the patent specifically references the CIDCO iPhone. Check out the picture of the CIDCO iPhone at G4TV. It looks like a screen phone to me. Maybe Alexander should be warning CIDCO instead of Apple. Nah, that article was written in 1998, before Microsoft applied for their patent.

Customizing the customizable

Microsoft's patented software includes a customizable visual user interface, and an API for customizing the customizable visual user interface. The phrase "customizing the customizable" appears nine times. NO WONDER Apple is reluctant to let third party applications on the iPhone. Microsoft has a patent on that. Right! Actually, it sounds more like Microsoft just patented skins. Would you believe portals? HTML? Computer programming?

Steve Jobs, don't bother your lawyer. Use your iPhone to play with Google Maps!