there is no "genie effect" there, only magnification, genie is the mac os x minimize animation.

How can you be so sure? Just curious.

I adopted the term "genie effect" from here:
reliablethinking.typepad.com/r ...

That site actually got it wrong. Here is the correct explanation for what the genie effect is:

"Otherwise known to Mac OS X users as the 'genie effect,' the feature presents the illusion that application and Finder windows are shrinking into the system dock when minimized by the user."

That's what Apple patented. I'm not sure if they also patented the Dock itself.

I'm the author of ReliableThinking.com, my bad for using the term "Genie effect." Now that I've read your comment and done additional research, there does seem to be confussion as to the actual deffinition. See the following on Slashdot – the last comment would support the continued confussion. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1 ...

More: Please see the following link to the genie effect and dock patent: appleinsider.com/article.php?i ... "Otherwise known to Mac OS X users as the 'genie effect,' the feature presents the illusion that application and Finder windows are shrinking into the system dock when minimized by the user."

Also the following Cnet story (news.com.com/Googles+X+files+v ...) where the author writes "The site functioned much like the Dock feature that exists in Apple's OS X. ... Apple has sought patent protection for the "Genie Effect" used in the Dock."

Reading this story and the patent my take is the "genie effect" is view that the application (icon) is shrinking or growing. It's a difficult call and the comments in the blog world show confussion.