Fantastic story on the BBC news site reports:
Software giant Microsoft has won apple patent rights - not those of its arch-rival Apple computer - but a special variety of fruit tree.
And goes on to explain:
The US Patent Office mistakenly granted it the rights to the "Burchinal Red Delicious" apple. US Plant Patent 14,757 was supposed to be granted to Robert Burchinal of East Wenatchee, Washington, instead.
Life is stranger than fiction...
See the full story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3686387.stm