Apple Insider posted a story that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple a patent for the graphical user interface used in all versions of the iOS Maps app since the software was first introduced in iPhone OS 2.0 and the iPhone 3G in 2008.
Apple's U.S. Patent No. 8,302,033 for a "Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for providing maps, directions, and location-based information," which described the backbone UI for the Maps app that continues to be used in the latest iOS 6.Apple awarded patent rights for original iOS Maps app GUI
Apple's Maps app debuted with the second generation iPhone OS, which would later be called iOS, and was powered by Google Maps until the most recent iteration of the software ditched the search giant's service for a proprietary solution created in-house.
