Steve Jobs was a figure who never left anyone indifferent. Known for his iconic ideas and peculiar behavior, the former CEO of Apple is credited with 145 patents despite having passed away in 2011 due to pancreatic cancer. How is this possible?
If we add up all the patents in which Steve Jobs appears, we can count up to 458 in total. The last one he applied for in his lifetime was the incredible glass cube that forms the entrance of Apple’s store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan (New York), which was eventually granted in 2012. The truth is, Jobs was always deeply involved in Apple’s products and encouraged registering even the most insignificant details of each of them.
The first patent we know of from the former Apple CEO was registered in 1983 and is titled “Personal Computer.” The rest, as they say, is history. But how can Steve Jobs continue to appear in new patents if he is no longer with us?
One of the initial reasons has to do with the review timelines. More complex patents can take months or even years to be granted. Moreover, all the patents obtained by Jobs after his death were applied for before his passing. Deceased inventors can also “file” more patents if intellectual property updates are requested.
A good example to illustrate this is the famous patent for an Electronic Device. It was initially applied for in April 2008 and then published in October 2009. The most recent update recorded dates back to July 2021.
Still, the significant number of patents under Steve Jobs’ name continues to be attention-grabbing. To put it in perspective, Apple’s current CEO, Tim Cook, doesn’t have any patents to his name as of today. Many people question Jobs’ true role in these creations, where he often appears listed alongside many other names rather than alone.
Take, for example, the interface of Apple’s Quicktime Player. Tim Wasko, the lead developer of the UI, explains that Jobs pointed out the interface details to be improved. This work was enough to have him credited on the patent.
If things continue this way, who knows how many more patents will appear in the coming years with Steve Jobs included?
