Apple Loses Rights for ‘Mighty’ Mouse Dubbing

This week, the US Patent and Trademark Offices awarded Man & Machine with the rights to the name “Mighty Mouse” as a “computer mouse” or “cursor control device,” an Engadget report reveals. Apple, as some of you might know, was not the first to call its point-and-click device Mighty. Of the two peripherals pictured to the left, the one on the right is now legally called that way.

The report adds that it was high time for the device to receive its rightful dubbing, with alternatives like “Cool Mouse” and “Really Cool [Mouse]” dying just before Christmas last year. Moreover, with Apple rumored to be taking point-and-click to the next level, it seems like just the opportunity for the Mac maker to unveil something new, something revolutionary.

Speaking of which, a patent application filed by Morrison and Foerster LLP in Los Angeles in June 2009 on behalf of Apple has recently been unearthed by AppleInsider. It describes a touchscreen typing and pointing device. According to the description, both hands stay on the device at all times, palms would be differentiated from fingers, and the device would know the difference between hands typing and hands pointing.

“Many attempts have been made to embed pointing devices in a keyboard so the hands do not have to leave typing position to access the pointing device,” the application reads. “The limited movement range and resolution of these devices leads to poorer pointing speed and accuracy than a mouse, and they add mechanical complexity to keyboard construction.” The patent application goes to say that there is a need for higher-resolution pointing methods that are still accessible from the typing position. Ignoring other gestures when the user is simply decelerating with the pointer, the device would know when cursor motion is sought by them.