How Nice - Microsoft gets apple patent by mistake: At the rate companies file for patents you would think that patents grow on trees. One that was mistakenly credited to Microsoft apparently does ...

On Tuesday, Microsoft received its first botanical patent for a newly discovered apple tree dubbed the "Burchinal Red Delicious," whose fruit is sold commercially as the "Adam's Apple." The patent should have been awarded to Robert Burchinal of East Wenatchee, Washington. The Burchinal Red Delicious-producing apple tree is not completely foreign to some Microsoft employees, as it is commonly found in Wenatchee, just 90 miles from Redmond, Washington.

The patent was apparently misfiled with a group of other patent applications from Microsoft. Microsoft is working to have the patent, US Plant Patent # 14,757, appropriately reassigned to Burchinal by filing a certificate of correction with the U.S. Patent Office.