Patent protecting firm — origin of Apple Mac? (8)
I believe the answer is:
overcoat
'mac?' is the definition.
(mac is a kind of overcoat)
'patent protecting firm origin of apple' is the wordplay.
'patent' becomes 'overt' (both can mean obvious).
'protecting' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are held or protected).
'firm' becomes 'co' (abbreviation for company).
'origin of' says to take the initial letters.
The first letter of 'apple' is 'a'.
'co'+'a'='coa'
'overt' placed around 'coa' is 'OVERCOAT'.
(Other definitions for overcoat that I've seen before include "Ulster, for example" , "Maybe Ulster" , "Protective winter garment" , "Outerwear" , "Inverness" .)