Apple copies Swiss Federal Railways clock in iOS

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Clearly copied. If Swiss Federal Railways wants compensation, Apple has to pay up.

[Via DF]



  • http://twitter.com/regjo Jorge Santos

    I hope Swiss Federal Railways are not willing to go thermonuclear war on this.

  • Boo

    I really wonder how anyone can think that this was a malicious act of theft when paying the SFR would be a pittance for Apple. Should they pay? Sure, but all this drama and legal nonsense is getting tiresome. Very tiresome.

    Cue the hand-ringing and “outrage”.

    Remember when the computers and personal electronics industry was more about neat tech and what you could do with it and not this emotional and litigious nonsense.

  • http://www.theuniversalsteve.com SSteve

    Yeah, making an homage to a discontinued Braun calculator is one thing but duplicating a copyrighted, current design is another. I’m sure someone will be getting the sack for that one.

  • Mishaerror

    Damn, I saw that clock all around Europe, but I am pretty sure not everybody payed SBB for it. :D Anyway, Apple should just not screw around with these guys. Fast trains, good-looking conducters, pricey tickets… God knows what tricks they got up their sleeves.

  • No

    Design patents expire in 20 years. Copyright in 70 years. Trademark never expire accept they have geographical limit. In this case it should be only for Switzerland.

    Only thing distinctive is the red second hand otherwise it looks like a generic clock face. What is funny is that a watch company has licensed it for hand watches. I am just surprised that HP didn’t trademark their Decimal font for their calculator or Casio their digital watch so no one could copy it.

  • gjgustav

    I saw Andy Ihnatko show his watch on MacBreakWeekly this week, and it had the exact same face. Even if it was licensed, it could be the graphic designer at Apple didn’t realize it and just wanted to make something that looked like real clocks. Either way, if the railway owns the design, Apple should pay the licensing fees.

  • Mother Hydra

    Apple needs to just pay and get back to maps for goodness gruber’s sakes.

  • Bill

    The hands are pointing in different direction.