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.
checked otu that link on making a windows PC look like a Mac and saw they have stuff to make a mac look like windows. WHY?
Apple is Gay! Seriously… who cares if people want to skin their phone. I wish i owned a PDA. I’d download them.
PocketPC iPhone skin.
It’s a cool skin. Anyone who still wants it:
http://www.geekissimo.com/2007/01/13/trasforma-il-tuo-pda-o-smartphone-nel-nuovo-iphone/
If it’s cool for Apple to steal the iPhone name… obviously Apple has no concern for others’ property.
So how come it’s cool for Apple to steal the iPhone name from Cisco?
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Because nobody wants a phone from Cisco…
…unless, you bought one 3 weeks ago.
You didn’t,did you?
Apple SHOULD go after all the ripp-off jackasses such as Micro$hit and other loosers with no life, that are simple ripping off other people’s intellectual property.
Go after them Apple with all you can.
Don’t worry about the loosers that complain and say its not cool!
Look, most people don’t really know whether they’re looking at a piece of carp Windows Mobile device or an actual iPhone. So if I have one of these wretched skins on my OS2 or blackjack or whatever, people I show it to are probably going to think it’s a real iPhone and when it sucks to use, they’re going to conclude that the iPhone is shizz. You have to control people’s perceptions about your device whether or not it’s actually your device they’re holding.
So how come it’s cool for Apple to steal the iPhone name from Cisco?
If it’s cool for Apple to steal the iPhone name… obviously Apple has no concern for others’ property.
First of all, this, if true, would not discount Apple’s right or reasoning to protect their property to the fullest extent of the law. Second of all, whether or not they even “stole” the name, iPhone, is arguable.
“iPhone skins”
I would steer clear of the Silence of the Lambs version.
It’s called marketing. It reinforces the desirability and “coolness” factor of Apple’s iPhone. More free advertising for Apple is a good thing, even if it is a side effect of Apple defending its copyrighted property.
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MacDailyNews Take: 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.
From what i have read Apple are not after people who discuss the issue, they are after people, sites, blogs etc that are or have linked to the site where the download is available, to link to illegal material is as illegal as downloading said material – as i understand it.
Don’t forget, Jobs made a point of saying that the iPhone’s UI was patented and that they would be vigorously defending those patents in his keynote. When the CEO of a company comes out a says we’ll sue your !@!# in a public forum, don’t be so surprised when his lawyers show up on your door when you blatantly copy their stuff or when you aid and abet by telling everyone to go to steal it.
He has absolutely no intention of repeating the Mac -> Windows perpetual license fiasco/disaster of the 1980s.
If the Apple Phone’s existance is so precarious that if a single coder (in his spare time) can make (in a few days) and distribute (for free) a UI that emulates (roughly) the Apple Phone UI it will cause Apple to potentially lose out on valuable revenue…then maybe this isn’t the best business direction for Apple to take.
I learned a long time ago that coolness and gadgets are great for the first day you own a product…but after the cool graphics and ‘new advanced interface’ lose their novelty there had better be some work done inside the case. Perhaps more time and energy show be focused on making this potential paperweight technologically sound. The iPod has already shown Apple to be world leaders when it comes to battery life (um…) and solid ‘never break’ construction (wait…). Lets hope this new touch screen and motion sensing display are made by different companies.
Apple is finally starting to behave like the giant faceless corporation they’ve become. Besides…even lawyers (does Apple call them ‘iLawyers’?) need to earn their keep somehow. And even if Cisco loses the legal game most other countries have a patent on the iPhone name…looks like those lawyers will be putting their kids through school for many years to come.
Did anyone realise that the poor PC guys actually have to put word descriptions of the icons… The real iPhone just has the icons without the “sms” and “phone” etc words underneath each icon. Which goes to prove that even when they copy, the PC guys just don’t get it, the purpose of an icon is to replace words…. I’m sorry, I’m just pointing out a fact, not putting PC guys down.
Icons are like trademarks… I can’t just go around using “IBM” logos and “Pepsi” logos as I like without permission. Likewise, remember how RIM sued Palm for copying their keyboard layout? Palm settled.
The iPhone is such a new product, it’s not even out yet, I can see why Apple wants to protect it aggressively. You never heard them trying to sue on the Mac OS skins on the PC, that’s because it was a more mature product, and the ownership and branding had already been established as Apple’s.