[NewsPoster]

Apple "stole" the concept behind its "Perspective" ad -- used to introduce yesterday's press event -- from OK Go, says band manager Andy Gershon. The Apple video features a camera tracking around a white room where shapes turn into text when seen from the right angle. OK Go, though, released a video in June for the song "The Writing's On the Wall," based on the same concept. More importantly, Gershon notes that the band met with Apple in April to pitch the concept as a potential collaboration.

Because Apple turned the idea down, OK Go is said to have done the video on its own. Apple, though, then hired 1stAveMachine -- which made The Writing's On the Wall -- to do Perspective, even getting the same director involved.

Gershon remarks that the band is considering legal options, even though there is plenty of pre-existing art that would establish the band didn't invent the concept. Still, the group could have some standing, given that it pitched the idea in private, but particularly since a non-disclosure agreement hasn't been produced, copyright law may not cover OK Go's claims.

Apple has faced a number of complaints about plagiarism in the past, at least two of which mirror the current situation. In 2006, an Apple TV ad closely resembled a music video for a Postal Service song, and MTV notes that Apple hired the same director. An ad for the first-generation iPhone was based on the work of filmmaker Christian Marclay, who said he was approached by Apple but chose not to give permission for his work to be imitated.

[Charles Martin]

I have seen numerous examples of this sort of perspective-based artwork and have not even seen the OK Go video. In short, they didn't invent the concept (it's been around since at least Salvador Dali's heyday), so they have no standing. If you could successfully sue someone for doing something similar to your (unoriginal) video, Samsung would be broke and out of business by now.

[Inkling]

This is hilarious. Apple champions those who "See things differently" while (perhaps) copying a visual technique developed by someone else (perhaps Salvador Dail). The copying itself doesn't bother me. I think all but a narrow slice of good ideas should be copied to the benefit of everyone. But I do wish Apple would quit talking about militant individualism while practicing corporate snitching. Show a bit of humility. There's no need for all this strutting and posturing. It only makes Apple look insecure or, in this case, hypocritical. Just make good products and sell them.

[I-ku-u]

Inkling, individualism is not synonymous with originality. Individualism is about doing what one thinks is best for oneself regardless of what others may be doing - that often requires mixing ideas of others in ways few, if any do, but it doesn't require coming up with completely new ideas.

[carloblackmore]

Apparently they missed the small print on the back of their Visitor's Pass when they went to meet Apple "Anything you say, think or share with us while on these premises is the property of Apple – you're welcome!"