[tutelary]

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3482

More than a little overzealous by Apple. Why does it seem increasingly like they are a company I don't wish to deal with?

[rickey939]

This guy hasn't been sued yet...

http://podshop.com/products/

[Obi Wan's Ghost]

Apple is also suing God for having 'od' in his name.

[Obi Wan's Ghost]

Originally Posted by rickey939

This guy hasn't been sued yet...

http://podshop.com/products/

Because he is promoting iPod.

[rickey939]

Originally Posted by Obi Wan's Ghost

Apple is also suing God for having 'od' in his name.

Likewise, the "Classifieds" are suing Steve Jobs for having "Jobs" in his name.

[ghporter]

There's a mobile storage company called "PODS." They bring out a 20' cargo container, you fill it, they take it away and "file" it. Secure storage and everything. Are they next?

[stevesnj]

Looks like this company is in for it too? Its a mobile storage company http://www.pods.com/

[Cody Dawg]

I think Apple is pathetic in this regard.

Seriously. I'll never forget them sending the cease and desist letter to the little girl who wrote a letter to Apple as a homework project.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by stevesnj

Looks like this company is in for it too? Its a mobile storage company http://www.pods.com/

That is a moving company. They have nothing to do with computers or music. That company could call their products iPod even and Apple couldn't do a thing about it.

[stevesnj]

Originally Posted by TETENAL

That is a moving company. They have nothing to do with computers or music. That company could call their products iPod even and Apple couldn't do a thing about it.

Thats not the point...it has the word 'Pod' in it

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Seriously. I'll never forget them sending the cease and desist letter to the little girl who wrote a letter to Apple as a homework project.

They didn't send her a "cease and desist" letter. They told her that for legal reasons they can not consider her suggestions.

[Obi Wan's Ghost]

Originally Posted by TETENAL

That is a moving company. They have nothing to do with computers or music. That company could call their products iPod even and Apple couldn't do a thing about it.

They can't call it iPod if Apple has the trademark. Who has the trademark for 'pod' btw? Someone must have.......

[imitchellg5]

The band POD hasn't been sued yet.

[MrsLarry]

Originally Posted by Obi Wan's Ghost

Apple is also suing God for having 'od' in his name.

I heard He tried to modernize his image with 'iGod', but had to change is back to regular God after the lawsuit...

[Cody Dawg]

TETENAL:

Care to dispute the worldwide news?

Apple DID send a cease and desist letter to a little 3rd grade girl.

Apple Sends 3rd Grader Cease And Desist Letter LINK



And they suck for it - even though they later apologized.

I love how Apple is putting the spin on their illegal stock situation right now - while at the same lambasting others for supposed trademark infringement. They steal ideas from others and incorporate them then go on to sue others for far less offenses.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by Obi Wan's Ghost

They can't call it iPod if Apple has the trademark.

They can, if it is a different product category. And moving boxes are a different category than computers or music related products.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

TETENAL:

Care to dispute the worldwide news?

Apple DID send a cease and desist letter to a little 3rd grade girl.

Apple Sends 3rd Grader Cease And Desist Letter LINK

Worldwide news? That looks more like a local news station to me. And they were sensationalizing the letter. Apple didn't threaten the girl with legal action, they just told her that they can not accept her ideas. They do this to everyone who wants to submit ideas online: Apple's Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy But the girl wrote a letter, so they told it to her in writing. There was nothing evil going on there.

[His Dudeness]

Well, I'm suing the child murderer in Atlanta, Wayne Williams, because he has the same name as me. That's copyrighted material and I am suing the ever loving **** out of him.

[Cody Dawg]

TETENAL:

It WAS a cease and desist letter.

How can you deny it?



Yes, it WAS all over the world.

Link

You can say what you want but Apple is usually a bully - and this thread is just another example of it.

[invisibleX]

If I wanted hugs I would go to.. someone giving out hugs.

I don't expect Apple to be nice, or more ethical, or kinder, or to hold my hand. Anyone who's watched them for any length of time knows they're no different than any other corporation. They're in the business of making money and as long as they make good products I'll buy them.

It doesn't concern me if they sue little girls.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

It WAS a cease and desist letter.

How can you deny it?

No, it was not. A cease and desist letter is a letter where someone demands that you stop with a certain behaviour and threatens legal action if not. Apple didn't demand that the little girl stops doing anything. And they didn't threaten to take legal action against her. They just told her that they have to ignore her suggestions for legal reasons.

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

TETENAL:

It WAS a cease and desist letter.

How can you deny it?



Yes, it WAS all over the world.

Link

You can say what you want but Apple is usually a bully - and this thread is just another example of it.

1) that is not what this thread is about
2) you already made a big stink over that letter when it actually happened, no need to start it again. Apple is legally obligated to send that same exact letter to anyone who sends them product ideas, be it a 36 year old inventor or a little girl writing for a school project. Lay off it.


I do, however, find it odd that Apple is suing this company when their product has no realation to the iPod. PODS stands for Portable On Demand Storage, therefore Apple would have a tough time getting a lawsuit out of them. But with the "profit pod," I guess Apple is just being Apple and trying to keep their stuff secure.

[Edited for grammar]

[Cody Dawg]

I used a POD recently to move and highly recommend it.

[invisibleX]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb

1) that is not what this thread is about
2) you already made a big stink over that letter when it actually happened, no need to start it again. Apple is legally obligated to send that same exact letter to anyone who sends them product ideas, be it a 36 year old inventor or a little girl writing for a school project. Lay off it.


I do, however, find it odd that Apple is suing this company when their product has no realation to the iPod. PODS stands for Portable On Demand Storage, therefore Apple would have a tough time getting a lawsuit out of them. But with the "profit pod," I guess Apple is just being Apple and trying to keep their stuff secure.

[Edited for grammar]

I don't think Apple is suing PODS. At least thats not what the first link says.

Isn't Apple obligated to pursue any potential trademark infringements in order to hold onto the trademark?

[Zeeb]

Originally Posted by invisibleX

If I wanted hugs I would go to.. someone giving out hugs.

I don't expect Apple to be nice, or more ethical, or kinder, or to hold my hand. Anyone who's watched them for any length of time knows they're no different than any other corporation. They're in the business of making money and as long as they make good products I'll buy them.

It doesn't concern me if they sue little girls.

Definately true, but if Apple is too heavy handed in a public way they will lose their favorable image. Granted, its just an image that Apple is this "rebel" computer company but one that works nonetheless.

Too many nasty notes to little girls and overzealous lawsuits and Apple will have a worse image than Microsoft. I agree that Apple should be treated as dispassionately as they treat their customers.

[Cody Dawg]

Great post:

Zeeb

Definately true, but if Apple is too heavy handed in a public way they will lose their favorable image. Granted, its just an image that Apple is this "rebel" computer company but one that works nonetheless.

Too many nasty notes to little girls and overzealous lawsuits and Apple will have a worse image than Microsoft. I agree that Apple should be treated as dispassionately as they treat their customers.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I think Apple is pathetic in this regard.

Seriously. I'll never forget them sending the cease and desist letter to the little girl who wrote a letter to Apple as a homework project.

Rumor has it that Apple revoked her education discount as well.

[HowEver]

Microsoft settled out of court when they sued Canadian Mike Rowe for creating "www.mikerowesoft.com."

Which doesn't explain what's at the site now...

There is no website configured at this address.


You are seeing this page because there is nothing configured for the site you have requested. If you think you are seeing this page in error, please contact the site administrator or datacenter responsible for this site.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

TETENAL:

Care to dispute the worldwide news?

Apple DID send a cease and desist letter to a little 3rd grade girl.

Apple Sends 3rd Grader Cease And Desist Letter LINK

That wasn't true the first time you quoted that story, and it isn't any more true now. They sent her a letter stating that they can't accept unsolicited ideas. It was not a cease-and-desist order.

[Sourbook]

Go get them Apple!

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by invisibleX

I don't think Apple is suing PODS. At least thats not what the first link says.

Isn't Apple obligated to pursue any potential trademark infringements in order to hold onto the trademark?

No, I know Apple is not suing PODS. I was talking about their case if they decided to because other posters were wondering if PODS were going to be the next to get sued.

[generationfourt]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

TETENAL:

It WAS a cease and desist letter.

How can you deny it?



Yes, it WAS all over the world.

Link

You can say what you want but Apple is usually a bully - and this thread is just another example of it.

media sensationalism. thats all it is. That was not a cease and desist letter.

[brassplayersrock²]

Originally Posted by Stogieman

Rumor has it that Apple revoked her education discount as well.

GREAT line

tet. dont let cody bother ya, once it gets a certain thing in its head, it's impossible to get it out.

Alex

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

TETENAL:

It WAS a cease and desist letter.

How can you deny it?



Yes, it WAS all over the world.

Link

You can say what you want but Apple is usually a bully - and this thread is just another example of it.

Just because some stupid news editor calls it a cease and desist letter doesn't make it one. As others have noted, a C&D says just that: "cease and desist." This letter told the girl (in not too nice language for a kid, I'll admit) that Apple does not take unsolicited suggestions for products. THAT IS NOT A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER. The news editor needs to go to (not back to) journalism school.

[Cody Dawg]

Why don't you write to that news outlet and about 1000 other news outlets and tell them that, will you?



I'm repeating what I read, that's all.

The FACT is that it was called a cease and desist by a lot of news organizations. I'm repeating the news, that's all. What you want to dispute as facts is up to you - I'm just repeating it and not interpreting it. If I started interpreting what was actually the news then there would be a bunch of you that say that I skew the news.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Why don't you write to that news outlet and about 1000 other news outlets and tell them that, will you?



I'm repeating what I read, that's all.

The FACT is that it was called a cease and desist by a lot of news organizations.

Yes, and those organizations were all referring to the same original story. It's much like if I write a story in which I mention that President Bush is gay and a bunch of other places report on my accusation. Those other places do not act as confirmation that Bush likes dudes because they are just parroting what they heard me say.

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I'm repeating the news, that's all. What you want to dispute as facts is up to you - I'm just repeating it and not interpreting it. If I started interpreting what was actually the news then there would be a bunch of you that say that I skew the news.

I cannot imagine why somebody would say you "skew the news" because you did some basic fact-checking.

[generationfourt]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Why don't you write to that news outlet and about 1000 other news outlets and tell them that, will you?



I'm repeating what I read, that's all.

The FACT is that it was called a cease and desist by a lot of news organizations. I'm repeating the news, that's all. What you want to dispute as facts is up to you - I'm just repeating it and not interpreting it. If I started interpreting what was actually the news then there would be a bunch of you that say that I skew the news.

so do you believe the ipod lasts four years?

the media will do anything to deliver news in a sensationalistic fashion.

do me a favor and write a letter of suggestions to apple. you will get the same exact letter. It is not a cease and desist letter.

Yeah I feel bad for the girl but oh well. Cupertino isn't in the north pole, steve isn't santa. give it up.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I'm repeating what I read, that's all.

Are you saying you believe everything you read, Cody? It wasn't a Cease and Desist. I remember the original story, and I remember the follow-up. Anyone in the media who called it a Cease and Desist was moronic. I don't know why you're arguing the point with so many people around here (who, unlike most in the media, know a lot about Apple).

People in the news media screw up all the time. They're not gods. Heck, many on-air personalities you see aren't real journalists. They only read what has been prepared for them. A news story can say a sheep is a duck all it wants; it can even be picked up by other outlets so that a whole bunch of places are claiming a sheep is a duck. The thing is, I know for a fact that no matter how many times it is said, and no matter how many people say it, a sheep is not a duck. And a form letter about unsolicited ideas is not a cease and desist letter.

[Cody Dawg]

Yes, I had no reason to believe it wasn't. I don't give a crap whether it was or was not a cease and desist. I READ that it was and I REPEATED what I'd read. Personally, I think that receiving a threatening letter that says, "Better not send us any more letters" is pretty much cease and desist. Know what cease and desist means? It means stop what you're doing, NOW, and don't do it in the future. That's the letter she received. It told her to stop sending them letters. It was not a feel-good letter. It was a letter that was rigid and formal and cold.

Also, I don't go around fact-checking every single news article to see if it's correct or not.



DO YOU? If so, then you have more free time on your hands.

The POINT is that Apple sent a letter to a little girl telling her to not send them letters. How lame is that?

How about this from another forum:

You know, i thought apple fans had class but i see that is not universally true. Wow, do you have children?. Did your father made you go out at 5 and get a job when you asked him for a dollar to go buy sweets at the corner store (cause after all, in the real world, you have to wake up at 6 in the morning to go to work). What a ****ing moron. Nobody is saying apple is bad. You can put your ice pick and ak-47 down now. Yes, apple did send the girl a form letter (and technically, apple did not do anything wrong).. but you think apple called the meeting to discuss telling children how the real world works?. If you don't have anything to say, really, you should shut the **** up. I've about had it with the creeping superiority of apple fans. Whenever you perceive even the slightest criticism of apple, you all bring out the big guns and start firing.. teaching the girl about the real world as if your parents thought you about the real world. Obviously they didn't or else you would not have made a stupid comment like this.

The thing I liked about the post is that this person pointed out that *some* Apple people just have a knee-jerk defense of Apple and it's sickening after a while. They can't take any criticism of Apple. They simply jump on the "OH MY GOD...BETTER DEFEND APPLE!" bandwagon. Even if they lose sight of the fact that Apple is a BULLY in most instances where they can be in the legal sense. Remember, this thread is about Apple BULLYING someone for using three letters in a sequence. It's not about me, it's not about this little girl, it's about Apple's tactics.

Personally, the only reaons that Apple even made any sort of overture toward this little girl is because the news got out that Apple behaved badly and they didn't want to warp public perception. I don't, for one second, think that Apple really cares about this girl or kids - or any kids. It's all about public perception, period, and protecting their intellectual property - which happens to include sequences of letters apparently. Which I think is wrong. Before you know it they'll be suing people who have the letters POD in their surname.

[Big Mac]

You're right, Apple Computer, Inc does not care about any one individual or group of individuals. It is simply an entity charged with making money so that it can fund its operations, pay its employees, grow itself and benefit share holders. That's it. Now those who run the company may have certain goals closer to what you would like to see, but those goals are secondary to the primary mission of profitability and growth. It is a business.

The girl was sent that letter because it's a standard form letter that Apple sends to everyone providing unsolicited ideas. Apple sends that standard form letter out because it gets a fair number of unsolicited ideas, and as a result Apple sees fit to shield itself from some of the liability associated with those idea letters by sending a legal letter back. It's just how the corporate world works, and Apple's mail monkeys were just following the established procedure when they sent the letter to that little girl. It's not something dastardly, and it's not something to vilify Apple over. Trust me, I know how to vilify Apple when it's appropriate to do so.

[loki74]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

TETENAL:

Care to dispute the worldwide news?

Apple DID send a cease and desist letter to a little 3rd grade girl.

Apple Sends 3rd Grader Cease And Desist Letter LINK



And they suck for it - even though they later apologized.

I love how Apple is putting the spin on their illegal stock situation right now - while at the same lambasting others for supposed trademark infringement. They steal ideas from others and incorporate them then go on to sue others for far less offenses.

Apple's reply was completely within reason, and frankly quite standard. To be honest, I wish Apple didn't apologize, as one was NOT in order. And really, who gives a hoot that she was a kid OR that it was a homework assignment? Facts are facts, laws are laws, and policy is policy. This is Apple's policy, there is clearly nothing wrong with it, and all people, regardless of age, are subject to it. Simple as that.

With regards to the issue at hand, I do not think this action is by any means excessive. People are just oversensitive to Apple. Why. I do not know. Perhaps it is because they are jealous of the iPod's success, but I shall not speculate any further on this matter. All I know is that this type of legal sh!t happens ALL the time, and no one seems to care... unless it's Apple. A digital handheld device in which Pod is a significant part of the name? Uh, sounds similar enough to me, especially given the uqiquity of the iPod.

Furthermore, if you look on their website, you'll notice the device is frequently referred to as simply "POD," further increasing the already confusing similarity between the two devices.

This is just some more typical sensationalization and FUD against Apple.

And no, I am not a zealot. This is how I see it, no sh!t. If MS was in the same situation (say they made someting called an XTablet or something) I would have the same stance.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Also, I don't go around fact-checking every single news article to see if it's correct or not.



DO YOU? If so, then you have more free time on your hands.

Nah, of course not. I'm just saying, you had already made the claim twice and been told it was wrong by pretty much everyone here. To keep making the claim without checking your facts is pretty ballsy.

Anyway, I suppose it doesn't really matter that much. I'm sure the girl's  over it by now and happily enjoying her iPod again.

[Cody Dawg]

I guess it's a matter of perception and interpretation. No offense, Chuckit, but I know for a fact that newspapers *usually* have a fact-checking team - backed by attorneys.

Am I going to believe a bunch of anonymous so-and-so's at a Mac forum? I'm afraid not. A lot of what has been said here is not factual. Not on purpose, sometimes by accident, but it happens. That's one of the reasons that one of the mods said to stop posting when Tuesday came around and the Apple store was down - it's all speculation unless you have facts in hand, period.

If the news media reports it with a certain skew or label, that's how I repeat it. I don't alter it to fit *my* supposed perception of what I believe.

The fact is that we don't KNOW what was said in the letter do we?

Why don't you - and others who are alleging it was not a cease and desist - show me the ACTUAL copy of the letter? Including the heading?

Then we'll talk about what is and is not. I love how all of you alleging what it is not have never even SEEN the letter itself!









SHOW ME THE LETTER and then I'll change my mind, okay? Also, did it ever occur to any of you that a cease and desist letter does not have to actually have the words "cease and desist" in it? My husband sends them out all of the time. They are stern letters that tell people to quit doing what they're doing. They ARE cease and desist because there is an implied threat of possible legal action. A cease and desist letter tells a person to stop doing something, that's all. Some are more formal and some are less formal. My husband's letters are actually very nice in tone, but they are the same in that they tell someone to stop doing something.

[Nodnarb]

Cody, you had your own thread for discussing that girl and the letter. I'm pretty sure 99% of the people here got sick of that thread because it's such a ridiculous topic to be arguing over, for all of the reasons stated above by other posters and myself. Please do not hijack this thread, because the OP's topic is very different from your own.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Yes, I had no reason to believe it wasn't. I don't give a crap whether it was or was not a cease and desist. I READ that it was and I REPEATED what I'd read. Personally, I think that receiving a threatening letter that says, "Better not send us any more letters" is pretty much cease and desist. Know what cease and desist means? It means stop what you're doing, NOW, and don't do it in the future. That's the letter she received. It told her to stop sending them letters. It was not a feel-good letter. It was a letter that was rigid and formal and cold.

It didn't say "better not send us any more letters," it basically said "don't sue us if we do or don't use your idea." It wasn't a threatening letter - it was a cover-their-asses letter. It didn't tell her to stop doing anything - the little girl can send letters to Apple all she wants. The letter just tells her that they don't necessarily have to read them or implement the ideas, and that she can't sue them if they do.

[Doofy]

"Pod": slang for "testicle".

Are Apple gonna be suing my wedding tackle? If so, my orchard will sue Apple for using the word "apple".

[Cody Dawg]

Nodnarb: I'm not the one who keeps arguing what the press reports.

As far as I'm concerned, the issue is over and done with. With my second to the last post (not this one, not the last one, but the one before) I ended with YET ANOTHER comment about how the thread is about how Apple appropriates names and sues everyone else who dares to use the same name.

In fact, if your name was Podnarb and you had a website, I think you might be in danger of Apple contacting YOU with a cease and desist.



Doofy: I only came back here to see what you had to say and once again you made me laugh.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

SHOW ME THE LETTER and then I'll change my mind, okay? Also, did it ever occur to any of you that a cease and desist letter does not have to actually have the words "cease and desist" in it? My husband sends them out all of the time. They are stern letters that tell people to quit doing what they're doing. They ARE cease and desist because there is an implied threat of possible legal action. A cease and desist letter tells a person to stop doing something, that's all. Some are more formal and some are less formal. My husband's letters are actually very nice in tone, but they are the same in that they tell someone to stop doing something.

Cody, please note that I'm not trying to be adversarial here. I just have a difference of opinion with you in this regard. But since we're still on the subject, I'd like to respond to the claim you made above. IANAL, but AFAIK, a true Cease and Desist letter will always include the words "Cease and Desist" without exception. The words "Cease and Desist" have very specific legal implications, since they may put the receiver in "reasonable apprehension of litigation," which would then entitle the receiver to seek declaratory relief. Simply stated, if it does not say "Cease and Desist" it's not really a C&D letter. And as CharlesS said, they never told the girl not to send in her ideas. They just sent the standard form letter on unsolicited ideas, which I bet was similar, if not identical, to the text on this page.