Steve Jobs’ patent legacy honored in real-life and virtual patent exhibits

After Steve Jobs passed away, Apple and others celebrated his life through various tributes. Now, the United States Patent and Trademark Office is paying respect to Jobs and his patent legacy in the form of 30 giant iPhone-shaped displays framing about 300 patents with his name on them. According to the New York Times, Jobs is actually listed as inventor or co-inventor on 323 patents, ranging from operating systems to peripherals — a respectable feat. In fact, the Times has created its own tribute to the man’s history of innovation in the form of an interactive patent explorer. Most of them are design patents, highlighting how much of an influence Jobs had on the look and feel of nearly every Apple product we’re familiar with today. You can visit the USPTO exhibit in Virginia for free until it closes on January 15th or hit the Times’ explorer now; you won’t regret it.