As Apple wins a patent for its multitouch LCD gestures (see image below), Palm says it will go ahead with plans to launch its Pre smartphone. The longtime PDA vendor also says it will defend itself if necessary against any legal action by the iPhone maker.

During Apple's recent earnings call, COO Tim Cook had hinted at possible legal action against competition infringing on Apple's iPhone technology. But does Apple have the rights to all multitouch technology?

Meanwhile, the success of the iPhone failed to shield AT&T from the economic crisis, according to Bloomberg.com. The carrier's fourth-quarter profit dropped 23 percent.

The multitouch patent (#7,479,949) granted to Apple on June 20 is titled "Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics." The company applied for the patent on April 18 of last year.

It's abstract reads:

A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises: detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display, applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device, and processing the command. The one or more heuristics comprise: a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command, a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command, and a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.

Leading off the list of inventors is the one and only Steven P. Jobs himself.