"As patents are very subjective and can vary by interpretation from judge to judge, it is not surprising to see that at least one court has dismissed this claim by Apple."
"At least one" and even that only because judges are subjective, right...
Apple is trying to stifle innovation in an attempt to always stay ahead of the curve. This is a fair use item. It would have been like Mercedes Benz patenting not just their lock mechanism for their cars but the concept behind it. We would all still be driving 2/mpg clunkers. They want to slow the progress of tech so they can keep making smaller increments in technology and charge out the nose for it. I really hope the US stops this nonsense within the USA while everywhere else companies can prosper.
And to think that Apple was recently awarded the design patent in the US for both swipe to unlock ui and rounded corners... ick. The US Patent system needs a serious overhaul.