Apple’s iPhone “user interface (UI) can be downloaded onto competing devices that are available now,” Asher Moses reports for The Sydney Morning Herald. “Savvy coders have developed iPhone ‘skins’ that work with most smartphones based on the Windows Mobile and Palm operating systems. The issue has angered Apple to such an extent that it has sent its lawyers after a number of those involved – both directly and indirectly. The skins don’t add any new functionality to the devices, but make use of the iPhone’s copyrighted icons to create a UI that distinctly resembles Apple’s hybrid mobile phone.”
MacDailyNews Take: Copies of icons are not a user interface. Moses first sentence is utterly false. Perhaps shoddy reporting is part of the reason why Apple is upset; if people think they can just download “user interfaces” and magically turn their Windows Mobile and Palm dinosaurs into iPhones, it could, in theory, negatively impact Apple’s business.
Moses reports, “Soon after the skins were uploaded to the Brighthand and Xda-developers internet message boards, Apple unleashed its legal team, who sent removal letters to at least one of the websites hosting the files. Apple’s lawyers also sent letters to journalists who simply reported on the fact that the skins were available.”
Moses reports, “Apple’s actions have sparked fury among tech industry watchers, who have accused the company of bullying and being notoriously litigious. ‘I think this is all complete nonsense,’ Michael Arrington, of the influential technology blog TechCrunch, said. ‘If Apple wants to go after the guy that made the Windows Mobile skin that looks like the iPhone, fine. But to bully bloggers who are simply reporting on this is another matter.’ Ironically, Apple’s attempts to have the files removed from the web have only given the skins greater publicity, and they have already begun spreading to other websites.”
Full article with image of an “iPhone skin” here.
Obviously, Apple should go after the makers, if they feel they need to protect their IP, but Apple should leave those reporting the story and showing an image alone. Much ado about nothing, of course, unless people really do start to believe they can just download “user interfaces” and magically turn their Windows Mobile and Palm dinosaurs into iPhones. We doubt Apple would see a meaningful percentage of people who believed they could transform their device into an iPhone with a “skin” download.
If anything, the quick production and dissemination of iPhone skins shows the high level of interest in the device six months before it even ships.
After exacting a bit more free worldwide publicity, Apple should re-leash the hounds and turn their attention to more important things – like getting those new multi-touch UI iPods ready.
Copies of icons are not a user interface.
Yes they are. Icons are a necessary component of the user interface. That’s what the Mac has always been about.
People are funny. This is tantamount to those folks who skin out their Windows XP machines with a Mac theme. What’s the point? Maybe it helps ease the pain of having to work on such a lousy platform?
For a company as GREAT as Apple, Inc. is, it sure can show a mean streak at times.
I can see why Apple would go after a reporter who states “Apple iPhone interface running on Windows Mobile.” That type of misinformation only fuels the lame assertions that iPhone doesn’t do anything new.
I heard they were going after people who were talking about the people they were going after for mentioning they had read about how to downlo-that’s funny, someone is at the door…
Lawyers are so stupid sometimes. Public image assholes. Sometimes it’s better to let shit slide to avoid looking like an ass. People pick on marketing departments alot, but in cases such as these maybe the lawyers should consult the company’s marketing department.
I don’t know what the fuss is about. Apple has to go after these people, they’re Australians. As a nation of convicts they will pretty much steal anything. If Apple doesn’t nip it in the bud now, who knows what will get purloined next.
@MDN:
“Apple should re-leash the hounds and turn their attention to more important things – like getting those new multi-touch UI iPods ready”
Are those hounds going to develop those iPods?
I mean: Apple is protecting his IP and I think they deserve to.
AND that is why there are people with different skills. Their lawyers are hired to protect Apple products from copy, not to develop new ones.
MW: Defense. As in Apple should
Steve wasn’t trying to be funny when he said “and boy have we patented it” durring the keynote.
Moses is right in the respect that by Apple going after people OTHER than the people making the icons and making them available via the web, they risk a major backfire in advertising it and making it even more popular. Not a good idea Steve.
I heard from a friend of a friend, who’s uncle told him that…..
lipstick -> pig
Apple learned its lesson over “look and feel” issues during its battle with MS over windows. Steve isn’t about to let that happen again by letting people copy the iPhone interface. They are going to have to buy the real thing and not some cheap imitation. It sounds like they have learned from past mistakes.
Actually, this is exactly the kind of thing that Cisco didn’t do, thus leading them to (most likely) lose their trademark.
It’s exactly the same thing with copyrights. Apple has to protect them vigorously. This also involves preventing people from aiding the distribution of these materials. If they don’t, the “skins” enter into the public domain, and once that happens, any competitor can use them.
So, if Apple wants to keep their designs unique, they have to use this heavy-handed approach.
MW: image. Spooooky!
I'[m going to take a picture of you and use it to advertise a service of mine. You get nothing.
I say CRUSH them.
So how come it’s cool for Apple to steal the iPhone name from Cisco?
I agree with the idea that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, however, the artwork that makes up the icons and other elements of the iPhone UI are copywrited. To allow blatant copying of it’s UI elements to go unchallenged would jeopardize Apple’s ability to maintain ownership of them.
Anything at all to try and make sure that the only real comeptition for MS doesn’t get a leg up – or at least not too high.
This just lipstick on a pig… but if this bites into the iPhone’s market share and forces Apple to lower iPhone prices, then I’m all for it!
That’s just Ballmer in a Vera Wang gown.
Article: “Ironically, Apple’s attempts to have the files removed from the web have only given the skins greater publicity, and they have already begun spreading to other websites.””
Ironic or by design? The greater the publicity over the skins, the more curiosity generated for the real thing. I say that’s a smart way of viral advertising. Make something people want forbidden and watch it spread like a wildfire. Reminds me a story about another kind of Apple and a woman named Eve.
People who have been skinning Windows to look like Mac OS X are the wannabes who won’t support the platform. I used to think no harm- no foul, but not anymore. When they retain the umbilical cord to the Windows ecosystem they are funding Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and the colossus of Redmond. They want the cachet, look & feel, but do not support those who developed it in the first place. They are supporting Windows developers- not Macintosh developers. Their refusal to support the Mac limits Mac development & adoption, takes money out of the pockets of Mac developers and limits the natural growth of the platform.
Take a look at how far they will go:
http://features.engadget.com/2004/06/09/turn-your-pc-into-a-mac/
http://www.macwindows.com/frontend.html
When they had the ancestor of OS X- NeXTStep & OpenStep, they didn’t bit- even when it would run on top of Windows.
Screw ‘Em
VERY funny, TowerTone – 2 jokes in 2 lines. Conciseness counts!
All they’d have to do is remove Apple’s copyrighted (probably) artwork, and they’d be in the clear. Use elements of the current “Windows Mobile” interface for example with the same easy to create Aqua Shine…
MDN,
There’s a difference between reporting a story and publicizing a product.
There’s no need to provide links to these skins or provide any information about them that might make it easy to find them. What these ‘reporters’ are doing isn’t very different from announcing SCUD missile impact locations during the first Gulf war.