Apple is patenting Swift features
These patents seem to be a countermeasure against patent trolls, since the code uses the Apache license. Quoting from link:<p>> Apache license gives the right to use patents required to use the code (assuming the original author had those rights), and the code implementing optional chaining in the compiler is Apache licensed. So, the only thing Apple having a patent on optional chaining does is to stop frivolous suits from patent trolls. It can't be used for any kind of nefarious power play by Apple, which is what OP was worried about.