Apple Wins Patent for New York Glass Cube

This week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved Apple's (Cupertino, Calif.) application to patent its iconic glass cube design at its Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan, reports Time.

Filed in 2012, the 14-year patent sanctions the “ornamental design” of the 32-foot cube, which underwent a $6.7 million remodel in 2011 to achieve a cleaner look with 15 glass panels instead of 90, according to Apple Insider. Apple had applied in 2010 to trademark the “distinctive design of the building” but that has not been approved.

The cube was designed by several people, including former Apple ceo Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, according to the patent application. Jobs had reportedly paid for the construction of the glass cube himself and owned the structure, according to Time.