Apple has made a habit of patenting all the products that the American company launches recently patented the design of the MacBook Air to protect itself from possible products that copy it. The main part of the patent considers the thin "feather" shape of the Mac, the shape that thickens from one end to the other of the side part. Based on this feature, Apple can sue almost any other ultrabook manufacturer that has designed a similar device, and to be honest, I don't think Apple should have such a patent in its portfolio.
You can see below how Apple has dashed out the unimportant details of the notebook, like the rear contour, hinge, side ports and feet, and instead focuses on the overall wedge shape and look of the device with solid lines. That's the aesthetic Apple has patented here and a notebook with hinges, feet or a shaped back different than the MacBook Air could still be infringing as long as the rest — primarily the claimed wedge profile — is substantially similar.
Of course, that is not the only part of the design that Apple can impose, the corners, the strips under the case and the way the protective elements are made are elements that the patent protects. Basically, Apple took care to patent the important parts that many other ultrabook manufacturers use, and in this way the company from Cupertino has everything it needs to attack its competitors. From my point of view, Apple inhibits competition with patents of this kind that will probably not lead to the removal of any products from the market, but will generate big legal problems for competitors.
