How Many Patents has Steve Jobs Been Awarded Since he Died?
Steve Jobs may have passed away in October of 2011, but the USPTO awarded him patents long after his death as the patents worked their way through the patent system. Steve Jobs has been awarded over 140 patent since he died in 2011 from pancreatic cancer.
In total, Steve Jobs has been awarded 458 patents, a third of which (141) have been awarded since he passed away.
We all knew that Steve Jobs was an innovative guy who pushed the boundaries of what’s possible, but it’s astonishing to know how active he was in terms of inventing new things. To be issued patents three years after his death is simply amazing.
That said, many of the patents that Steve Jobs was listed on were for the look and feel of an object and not the function of how something worked. Also, according to some of his co-inventors, he was listed as an inventor on some patents because he gave his input on the details of a product.
People close to him state that “he had useful comments, suggestions, and it’s worthy of him being on the patent.”
Steve Jobs First Patent
Steve Jobs was awarded his first patent in 1983. It was titled “Personal Computer.” This patent is one among others that shows how Apple and Steve Jobs helped change the world.
The inventions he participated in have impacted many aspects of our daily life, placing powerful computers in the hands of millions of people around the world.
Some of the criticisms of Steve Jobs is that his name often appears alongside many other inventors, suggesting that the inventions or designs weren’t entirely his own and instead Jobs is taking credit for what Apple’s 80,000 employees invented.
Steve Jobs Last Filed Patent
What’s even more interesting is that while Jobs was ill, Apple’s lawyers still kept filing inventions under Job’s name, with the last patent being filed the day before he passed away.
The last patent that was filed in his name covers the dramatic glass cube that makes up the entrance to Apple’s store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York.
That said, Jobs’s name is still being added to the new patent until this day. For example, a yacht owner added Steve Jobs’ name to a very long yacht. The yacht owner claims that Steve Jobs helped him design the boat and so he honored his help by naming him as an inventor on his patent application.
In the meantime, we are waiting to see if Steve Jobs has any more patents hiding in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).