Apple Gets Huffy Over iPod Sex Toy
Hurray for bizarre tech news! As I’ve said before: it’s not exclusively gaming-oriented, but it’s certainly noteworthy.
Y’know, sometimes people should get over themselves and simply learn that laughter is the best way to deal with something.
Apple Computers is, well, I suppose the best way to put it is “less than thrilled” with the ad campaign for the iBuzz because of how it parodies the sihouette iPod ads.
A cease-and-desist letter was sent to the folks over at the iBuzz site, which makes it painfully obvious that someone seems to have something jammed somewhere uncomfortable and has forgotten what a sense of humor is:
“Our client owns the copyright in all the images used in its ‘Silhouette’ advertising campaign and actively polices its rights in order to protect itself and its consumers…. Certain images used on your website (www.ibuzz.co.uk) may have been copied or substantially copied from those in which our client own the copyright, without our client’s consent… Your use of such images amounts to copyright infringement.”
Uh huh… seeing as how the ads have been parodied numerous other times without any legal problems, I think Apple should look consider a new term: iHypocrite.
Apple Claims Ownership of Silhoutte Ads, Wants Sex Toy To Stop Using Them [via Gizmodo]
Boy of Tomorrow
Posted to on 12 December 2006
· Comments (7)
Other stuff like this: apple, ibuzz, ipod, lighten up you guys, vibrator
This is just plain funny on so many levels.
Apple needs to get over it. Joke or not, this is hilarious
As a company with many kinds of customers I too would be angry about these ads. Some unknowledgable customer could very well assume this kind of ad was created by or supported by apple. Not exactly something they want people to think.
I wouldn’t say it’s hypocritical. They’ve got to pick their battles.
Says apple’s new little boy wonder. =0P
And I agree with Alice; while I could laugh at the image itself, I would not be laughing at the large amount of over-the-top complaints from people who think it is actually an apple advertisment. I don’t see it as an actual copyright infringement issue—more of a covering of one’s ass.
I”m not surprised they are angry over it. Hell, I dont really want to see that, and all it does is remind me of that picture if i ever look at an actual apple ipod commercial. That is just the wrong thing to do, and apple is excercising it’s right to protect its property. Personally, I wish they somehow could have seen the future and stopped this ad before it began.
I love Apple & its products, but I’m gonna have to say screw ‘em on this one. Owning the copyright to something as generic as a silhouette shouldn’t be (and, I hope, actually isn’t) legally possible.
Suing for usage of the little iPod icon in the silhouette, well, that’s probably as much legal footing as they should get, but I think the parody law takes care of that one, too.. As it should.
The iBuzz people aren’t trying to make an artistic statement or to just get laughs. Rather, they’re selling a product and attempting to capitalize on Apple’s brand recognition to get more attention than they otherwise would have, and in the process they’re opening Apple to criticism and complaints the company never invited. Sure the image is funny, but I don’t think Apple is out of line for guarding itself from exploitation.