The German inventor behind the Sony Walkman has been offered a multi-million dollar settlement after a 25-year-long dispute with the consumer electronics company. Andreas Pavel may now set his sights on Apple, threatening to to sue over the iPod. He applied for a patent in 1977 for a “portable small component for the hi-fidelity reproduction of recorded sound.” However, it is unclear whether Pavel’s patent is still valid because patents are normally valid for 20 years from the date of application. (Apple did not roll out the iPod until October 2001.) He is said to be considering cases in Italy and Canada, where his patents were filed later and may still be valid.