Not too much to say here except that Apple is assiduous in its pursuit of patent lockdown. iDevices are eminently imitable, and in China there’s a whole sub-industry of fake gadgets — one might even say that is the industry, and the legit gadgets are the sub-industry.
These just-granted design patents don’t signal the end of fake iPods or anything like that, but if Apple wants to crack down on design pirates, it’s good to have your paperwork in order.