Apple has managed to secure a patent which is critical to devices such as the iPod. The patent covers the downloading of music and and video to a computer as well as the capability to play it on other devices.

Apple reached an out-of-court settlement on November 30 2006, Michael Starkweather who is a lawyer responsible for writing the patent believes that the potential shift of patent owner could affect “the future of the whole mobile phone, iPod and PDA industry. That’s the billion dollar patent.”

Starkweather went on to say, “I believe that, with this patent in hand, Apple will eventually be after every phone company, film maker, computer maker and video producer to pay royalties on every download of not just music but also movies and videos.”

Starkweather wrote the patent back in 1996 for David Contois of Contois Music Technology.

The case began in June 2005, when Apple was accused of using the patent without permission.