Apple Appealing Patent Rejection

Apple Computer Inc. will appeal a U.S. patent office denial of an application related to technology in its top-selling iPod digital music and photo player.

The office denied the Cupertino, Calif., company’s application because five months before Apple’s application Microsoft Corp. had filed a similar application.

Apple will appeal the rejection because it does not want to have to pay royalties on all iPods sold, the Washington Post reported Friday.

Apple invented and publicly released the iPod interface before the Microsoft patent application cited by the examiner was filed, Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said in a statement. The company has received other patents related to the iPod and has other patents pending on the device, she said.