Apple has patented remotely disabling iPhone cameras. It’s patented Gear VR-style headsets, and watch-controlled photography. It’s even patented the sliding function to unlock the phone – deceased as of iOS 10 – and the concept of a phone with a bezel and rounded edges. 

Now it’s gone one step further, and applied to patent a paper bag.

The patent application summarises the bag as follows:

A paper bag is disclosed. The paper bag may include a bag container formed of white solid bleached sulfate paper with at least 60% post-consumer content.

Recycled paper bags are not an innovation, of course. The innovation, in this case, is how Apple intends to hold the bag together with such a high proportion of recycled material. White paper bags made of recycled material tend to be fairly flimsy due to the amount of bleach used, so Apple has come up with a bundle of alterations that should help its bags remain both pearly white and environmentally friendly.

Those alterations include fancy reinforcements at the folds and gussets of the bag, another one at the bottom that sticks to the sides, and a handle “formed entirely of paper fibre yarn knitted in an 8-stitch circular knit pattern”.

Sadly the patent application makes no mention of a headphone jack.

Sounds awesome but why patent it?

Because they can?? 

No, really... they must have their sights much higher than doing R&D just for their own bags, "... a bundle of alterations that should help its bags remain both pearly white and environmentally friendly." Maybe  white bags is only the beginning...?

Intriguing possibility that this is only the beginning. 

This comment on the Hacker News thread made me laugh:

"Can some one apply for a patent for toilet paper made out of at least 60% post consumer content where by the content is made of printouts of Apple patent applications?"

Ha! That's funny. Made me want to read all the comments:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12542058