Today, Apple has been granted patent for ‘portable multifunction devices’ with multitouch screens.  This is Apple’s fancy way of saying any device that mimics the iPhone’s multitouch gestures is subject to lawsuit.  I see a settlement happening soon.  Something that would result in HTC, Samsung and Motorola coughing up dough every year in royalties.  Here is the abstract of their patent.  Well played Apple.  Well played.

A computer-implemented method, for use in conjunction with a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display, comprises displaying a portion of page content, including a frame displaying a portion of frame content and also including other content of the page, on the touch screen display. An N-finger translation gesture is detected on or near the touch screen display. In response, the page content, including the displayed portion of the frame content and the other content of the page, is translated to display a new portion of page content on the touch screen display. An M-finger translation gesture is detected on or near the touch screen display, where M is a different number than N. In response, the frame content is translated to display a new portion of frame content on the touch screen display, without translating the other content of the page.

[USPO]