Apple to meet with SBB over iPad Clock app dispute
updated 01:14 pm EDT, Mon September 24, 2012
'No agreement so far,' says SBB
Representatives from Apple are set to meet with people from Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) "in coming days or weeks," according to a spokeswoman for the latter company. "There's been no agreement so far, we're going to talk about it," Patricia Claivaz tells Agence France-Presse. SBB and watchmaker Mondaine have threatened action against Apple over the new Clock app in iOS 6, arguing that the faux-analog clocks it displays are similar to a design created in 1944 by engineer Hans Hilfiker, used at stations by SBB, and later licensed to Mondaine.
Claivaz dismisses insinuations that SBB might demand money as "speculation," adding that the railway doesn't want to "upset them [Apple] by asking for money." She in fact claims that SBB is "rather proud that a brand as important as Apple is using our design," which is "already on show in exhibitions in places like New York." SBB's lawyers are said to have requested the meeting.
iOS 6 marks the first time the iPad has had a native Clock app. The controversial graphics are used to present times in one or more different cities. If Apple and SBB can't come to an agreement SBB may be likely to win any court case, owing to the direct parallels between its design and the one used by Apple.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: 08-23-01
*facepalm*
Seriously guys, you can't complain when Samsung steals your designs, and then go ahead and do it so blatantly to someone else.