from Mac Rumors:

Not necessarily. Apple thinks that it has found a much better place to put the Optical Disc Drive: at the bottom of the MacBook

In the patent description, Apple addresses the challenges of making laptops even smaller...

At what point does this become ludicrous? Apple's looking at putting optical drives on the bottom of a computer with a flap-style opening (see link for pic), and they're supposed to be able to somehow corner that market until Willie is free? Perhaps someone should quickly patent drives on the top, keyboards on the screen, and screens where the keyboard should be and see if they get sued.

Not to mention, it'd seem if it were so difficult to make a small laptop with an optical drive, Apple would simply get more intelligent about taking it out. Why not use stand-alone drives or other machines' fixed drives via some supra-fast Bluetooth? Standardize around PSP discs? (he said only half sarcastically)

Anyhow, next they'll patent crustless bread. Thanks, US, for the beautiful legal system.