Steve Jobs Tells Startup Startup To Change Names, Saying 'It's No Big Deal'
from the to-you-perhaps... dept
Reader mick alerts us to the story of a small eight-person startup that makes a popular app for backing up your iPod music, which had been called "iPodRip" until Steve Jobs and Apple's lawyers got involved, demanding the company cease using the name and hand over its domain. It's even told the guy that even if he rebrands his app, he can't even say that it's the app "formerly known as" iPodRip. While lawyers told him he could successfully fight Apple on this, the guy gave in and is in the process of changing the name to iRip. Someone involved with the company actually sent Steve Jobs an email about the whole situation, and got the response:"Change your apps name. Not that big of a deal."Pleasant. Of course, at this point it seems worth pointing out that years long battle Jobs fought with the Beatles' Apple Corp. over the "Apple" name. Would Jobs have been okay if John, Paul, Ringo and George had simply told him "Change your company name. Not that big of a deal"? Now, yes, it is true that a company needs to enforce its trademark, lest it become generic, but in this case it certainly seems like the name was descriptive in a way that certainly didn't imply endorsement from Apple. But, of course, when you've got lawyers who can bully on your behalf, the details apparently aren't that important.
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Filed Under: ipod, ipodrip, irip, name change, steve jobs, trademark
Companies: apple
Reader Comments
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Oh, I'm sorry, did I just use the words "Apple" and "iPod" in this post? WILL I GET A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER FOR THAT?
Copyright bullies on one side, trademark bullies on the other, and the rest of us are caught in between.
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And here I am, caught in the middle with you.
(Wait, who's that knocking on the door now?)
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Re: stop buying apple shit
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iPod trademark?
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iPod trademark?
I think it's too late to keep "iPod" from becoming a generic term.
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Re: iPod trademark?
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Apple iRip
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Steve
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iPood
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Megalomaniac
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Re: Megalomaniac
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Re: Megalomaniac
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Way To Go Jobs.. But - NO WAY OUT
This is nice strategy Mr. Steve Jobs.
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They have a right to protect their trade mark name. Apple User Guide is wonrg less you are Apple.
Yes Steve Jobs is a douche. Apple is a symbol of asshole Attitude and they have a right to protect that. This is elementary and all I can say is duh. The owners of 'iPod Rip' should have seen this coming.
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Really? Explain all the various magazines that a trademark in the name of their magazine?
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re
But in doing the research, I've come to see how bad Apple's business practices are. I don't think I'll be buying anything from Apple, now or in the future. Some companies just don't get it.
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I don't buy apple crap
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Re: I don't buy apple crap
They seem to be doing quite well with out you.
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Re: I don't buy apple crap
They seem to be doing quite well with out you.
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Re: I don't buy apple crap
They seem to be doing quite well with out you.
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Re: I don't buy apple crap
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Re: Re: I don't buy apple crap
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Google Ads...
Neither of which are apple products.
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Re: Google Ads...
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Steve Jobs isn't Cool
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Re: Steve Jobs isn't Cool
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Re: Steve Jobs isn't Cool
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Plus your comment is just as stupid as steve jobs about changing the product/company name.
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The name "iPhone" was a big deal
Ironically, Mark Chandler, Cisco’s SVP and General Counsel, commenting on Apple’s infringement of Cisco’s iPhone trademark, said "If the tables were turned, do you think Apple would allow someone to blatantly infringe on their rights? How would Apple react if someone launched a product called iPod but claimed it was ok to use the name because it used a different video format?"
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Actually if you DID look at the global sales figures, you would have seen that MS has the majority of sales.
I have no preference for either, just saying.
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Welcome To MikeDirt.com
I'll add functionality not available here, and call it MikeDirt to honor the original.
But, we'll have other things like story intakes from PR people which will help fund Free online Do-It-Yourself T-Shirt design & store. We'll also have "free" song of the week and on the 50th visit, visitors will be able to download a pirated, PDF version of Mike's book "Approaching Infinity" (Pop-up windows says "Psst, Wanna free book?")
I just want to see how long it will take before Mike gets angry and posts another one of his 5 page walls of text about original content and scraper blogs, and calls it stupid and how MikeDirt may confuse people.
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Re: Welcome To MikeDirt.com
I probably won't make any comments to your site but I'm sure some other shill for the arts might come along.
Hurry up and do it. Stop teasing us with your brillant plans, and do it!
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Re: Welcome To MikeDirt.com
Cool. Let me know when it's up.
I'll add functionality not available here, and call it MikeDirt to honor the original.
That's nice of you.
But, we'll have other things like story intakes from PR people which will help fund Free online Do-It-Yourself T-Shirt design & store. We'll also have "free" song of the week and on the 50th visit, visitors will be able to download a pirated, PDF version of Mike's book "Approaching Infinity" (Pop-up windows says "Psst, Wanna free book?")
Cool, though I'd suggest that users might find the pop ups annoying. But you are most certainly free to offer up Approaching Infinity however you like it. We released it to the public domain under the WTF license. You are even free to try to sell it and make money if you want. We'd appreciate the help.
I just want to see how long it will take before Mike gets angry and posts another one of his 5 page walls of text about original content and scraper blogs, and calls it stupid and how MikeDirt may confuse people.
Oh. Hmm. No, why would we do that? We're all for you setting up your own sites to help promote our content. I've discussed that at length.
There are a bunch of sites like that already and we've already discussed why it's fine.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090116/0348223430.shtml
Go for it. Just let us know when it's up.
Thanks for helping to spread our content!
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Re: Re: Welcome To MikeDirt.com
In fact, Apple Corps, the record label the Beatles are on, has requested Apple Computer change their name several times, so he's had to fight similar fights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v._Apple_Computer
So now it's payback time for Steve. Yee-Haw! iPodRipper is no big deal says pot to kettle.
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And Mike's comment is called "calling a bluff".
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Very.
It was applied irony, Mike.
Heh. You make me laugh.
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If you find what I write humorous, you'd also find a way to fund 4-5 patents under your WTF license so I can send them to you.
Sad thing is I disclosed a few things to someone who is a former director of the god damned fucking company known as Oracle because he knocked off 1/2 off of the bar tab a few months ago.
So I can get a provisional Patent, Mike, but it needs to be done right. I just want to make the ideas public domain. It's sad that I have to as you to do this for me.
Glad I make you laugh.
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http://video.foxnews.com/11908110/spill-oreilly/
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Re: Welcome To MikeDirt.com
No one cares what AC's think, say or spout. You waste your time and energy AC. I can't wait until the school break is over and the AC's go back to Second Grade.
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?
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Microsoft would have...
Just ask Netscape.
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"Good! Don't buy Apple products! Apple doesn't NEED you!"
Only two people would take that attitude: Apple employees or fanatical brand-fan mouth breaters, like the kind who argue over whether the PS3 or XBOX360 is better.
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"Good! Don't buy Apple products! Apple doesn't NEED you!"
Person provided the fodder... I accept the things I can not change.
Arguing over the internet is like winning in the special Olympics, even when you win your still retarded.
Yeah. It was easy, cheep and didn't cost me a lot but to Bragi I give thanks for a poets tongue.
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May I should just cease and desist myself ...
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Whose business is it anyway?
Just because one has a legal muscle one does not have to exercise it excessively.
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Re: Whose business is it anyway?
Somebody said you want to reshape something. You tear it down first. Well guess what. The last time we printed this much debt we had to put the interest rate at 20% to pull all the funds back normal. Oh wait that's right we haven't produced this much debt EVER. It'll take interest rates at 40% to get back what we've printed. Let's see, India buying gold at record levels... I hear its nice this time of year.
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irip / ipodrip
Apple would be more likely to find issue with the every day mum and dad consumer realising they can back up ipod music without re purchasing after every crash than they are in any possible confusion between names.
Demanding the app be renamed or threatening legal action is not more than a basic bullying tactic used to deter 'little guys' from catching up to the biggun's .
I'd suggest the app be called jobsisadickrip or something similar.
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Sure, whatever
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Should have asked for $$$
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iRIP?
I Rest In Peace? Is that what they are fighing for? To say that "I Rest In Peace? Dead man didn't talk. Am I wrong?
Ok, now lets try "I Rip" Did it sounds like something visceral?
Come on guys, I think you can put a better name on that. And Jobs is fighting to defend the 'Pod' thing?
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Grammar
This is making me regret buying an iPod (though not as much as the crappy battery life and the attempts to charge silly amounts for insignificant software updates).
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Re: Grammar
Just saying.
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WinBlow$ and "Woz Roolz and Jobs Droolz" rhetoric aside, use of a trademarked name does imply endorsement from the owner. if the owner of the trademark doesn't endorse the product, then it asks the infringer to stop using it. which is exactly what Apple is doing.
The difference here is domain: Adobe's product line isn't affected by what's said in Advanced Photoshop. In all honesty, iPodRip could be poorly-coded and inferior to canon Apple software.
iPodRip (and even moreso "iRip") don't come close to passing "moron in a hurry." Steveorevo had it right: programs are named "_________ for Windows" to avoid this kind of confusion. It's not a matter of pissing contests or legal "bullying;" it's a legitimate business concern.
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throwing weight around
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jops
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