Did you know that the MP3 player device and the software for it was invented by a Brit, here in the UK way back in 1979 - long before Apple thought of it!
Apparently the inventor was a director of a company that developed inventions, they landed another contract for a digital recording device for the recording industry which produced greater profits. When the patents on the MP3 player came up for renewal the board of the company baulked at the £60k required to keep the device patented and so the design fell into the public domain and was picked up by Apple some years later. Recently there has been a patent infringement case in the USA and the inventor was called by Apple as an expert witness as somebody else was claiming that Apple had stolen his idea which he developed in 1989............................ said Brit boffin was able to prove that he had patented the MP3 player and what became the iTunes program in 1979!
I reckons that he and his fellow directors would now be a very very wealthy guys had they paid the £60k

You can hear about it here, but it is a long way into the program - scroll along to about 30 minutes into the programme. There is also an interesting bit about mobile phone SIM cards and why you have to be very careful about disposing of them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00dv380 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Tim you need to get out more! 2005 Zambezi TDV6 - Gone but not forgotten
2009 Alaska TDV8 - Gone and much missed.



WINNER - 2009 �Idler Of The Year� Award
Runner Up - 2009 �Just Doing What It�s Designed To Do� Award


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I was in the car when I heard this VA, is that "getting out" enough?  2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW