Copy and paste, so basic, common and useful, and yet so elusive for iPhone users: While Apple deemed copy and paste not essential enough to include with the iPhone 2.0 firmware update, it plans to bring the feature to the iPhone and iPod touch at some unknown future date. Until then, others are attempting to fill in the void. Take OpenClip.org, for example.

OpenClip is a system whereby a shared storage space on the iPhone is used as a common area to read and write data from so as to allow iPhone owners to copy/paste between applications. OpenClip is not an app you install on the iPhone, however.

For an application to be compatible, developers must participate in the OpenClip program, so as to integrate OpenClip's open source framework into their software.

Applications that don't integrate the OpenClip framework can't be copy and pasted to and from in this system You can find a list of OPenClip-compatible applications here.

So far there are eight that have pledged support and a couple that are listed as coming soon. The more who adopt OpenClip the more useful OpenClip will become.

OpenClip provides a useful Faq about its cut and past solution, which it acknoledges in interim until Apple finally integrates the feature itself ,here. See the video below to see OpenClip's copy/paste solution in action.

Cut and Paste for iPhone from Cali Lewis on Vimeo.