“Just two days after sales began, the epic Steve Jobs (action) figure that promised instant holiday joy for hundreds of Macheads has been halted on command by Apple,” Ray Basile reports for iPhone Savior. “The detailed Jobsian likeness, standing upon an Apple logo platform, was originally sold for US$79.90.”
Basile reports, “On Tuesday, a law firm representing Apple, Inc. issued an official C & D order to M.I.C. Gadget requesting that the wildly popular news site immediately cease the marketing and sale of their Steve Jobs figurine.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: ‘Tis that Apple logo he’s standing on that’s likely the biggest problem.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jax44” for the heads up.]
Aww that’s sad.
Maybe they can work out a deal?
@Mark Armstrong
That was likely because of the copyright in the original photograph. If you take a photo of Steve, you (not he) owns the copyright in that photo and you are free to use it however you want.
Others commenting are likely right when they point to the Apple trademarked logo.
@Macromancer Yes Apple does have cause to sue. As CEO Steve is a Spokesperson for the company and is damaged by the unauthorized use of his likeness. This is the same as making a likeness of Flo the lady from Progressive Insurance.
Note being a Public figure does not open you up having your likeness used without authorization, but being a political figure / holding public office does, thus the Barack Chia Pets and Governator action figures.
The Apple logo isn’t as actionable as there not selling computers. Trademark protection is limited to specific trades. I doubt Apple has filed for collectible figurines. Although in combo with steve’s image it may make a trade-dress suit.
A lego figure with stubble a black top and blue bottom is hardly a likeness of Steve. It’s more of a symbolic representation.
Now if someone made Jobs vs Balmer Rock’em Sock’em Robots they could probably skate by on parody grounds. Hint Hint….
By the way you can pretty much trademark anything. Aunt Jemima and Betty crocker may be fictional but there likenesses are trademarked as well as Paul Neuman’s.
Steve thought his head looked to big