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This is gonna sound strange, perhaps, but I am aware than when I buy a product, some of my payment goes towards things not related to my purchase, such as marketing for other products, patent applications, etc. I don't have a problem with that.

So I am actually rather pleased that Apple spend some time doing this patent application for a bag, even though I imagine that a little bit of what I paid for my iPhone went towards that effort.

Because today, I received significant value, in the form of unbridled merriment, from reading their patent application.

Thanks for the chuckles, guys.

Go ahead, try reading just the "Claims" section out loud. See if you can get through it with a straight face.

It is odd to patent a bag, I agree. However, Apple needs to make some attempt to protect ALL of its intellectual property. They have the money to enforce the patent - most small companies do not. You have to assume that the bag will be made in some Chinese (or worse) sweatshop that will have no hesitation in selling the same bag with another company's logo on it. You have to assume that when you offshore production you are effectively releasing your design details to the world. Foreign manufacturing/assembly houses will sell you out in a second or at least their employees will.

I remember an article from years ago (~10-15) about how Cisco Systems realized that one of their contract assembly houses has ripped off one of their products and was selling it at 25% of their price. Same product, same production line, different Logo on the product in a plain white box. There are countless stories like this.

You make some very good points.

A few months ago I bought a new Macbook Pro - 15 inch. It was packed like a piece of jewelry. Just opening it was a treat.

OK, now for the “claims” section.....