Damn. Not looking good for Palm and other companies...

 The "don't rip off our IP" spat between Apple and Palm continues: Turns out the U.S. Patent Office has gone ahead and awarded Apple a patent covering its "multitouch" technology, including gestures such as "pinching" and "swiping."

 

Will it be the ace up Apple's sleeve?Apple's newly approved patent (first reported by World of Apple) could spell trouble for Palm and its new, red-hot phone—the Palm Pre—which (among other features) includes a multitouch-enabled touch display, complete with support for (you guessed it) gestures like pinching and swiping.

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http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/34848