Mark Mayfield wrote:

>Check this out...
>
>http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/apple_granted_patent_for_method_of_providing_stand_in_objects/
>
>Apple's patent provides a method for delaying the instantiation of an
>object in an object-oriented environment. Instead of creating an actual
>object, a stand-in object is created. When an actual object is
>instantiated, a description is referenced to locate the data from a data
>source that is used to populate the actual object.
>  
>

Isn't this known as the proxy pattern? Can I patent the abstract factory 
pattern? Can I?