Apple accused of ripping off artists
p2pnet news | off topic:- Back in 2005 p2pnet ran a story which kicked off, “It seems the advertising fraternity are all a-twitter over a, ‘popular new commercial for the Apple iPod’ that’s ‘again raising the issue of what constitutes originality in advertising’.”
Our brief post was inspired not only by an article in The New York Times which pointed out there were, “far too many similarities between the Apple commercial, created by the longtime Apple agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, and a spot produced three years ago by another agency, which was selling the Lugz brand of boots,” but also by two non-Apple companies copying Apple.
One was on Playboy’s iPod iBod and suggested, “linkage between Apple’s iPod and Playboy could offer the latest in hand-eye coordination exercises”.
The other said, “Apple is furious that an iPod Shuffle imitator had the temerity to open a stall at at the CeBit technology show in Germany where Steve & Co are also showing off the original.”
Now, “we’re noticing a pretty disconcerting trend taking shape: Cupertino’s getting all Picasso on us with the ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal’ stuff, time and time again knocking off other artists’ and creative companies’ work in its own products and advertising,” says Engadget. “Seems a little odd for the company whose mainstay customer is the creative professional, and whose most enduring ad campaign compels us to ‘Think Different’.”
The NYT story centred on the similarity between a 2002 commercial advertising the brand of boots and an Apple ad (see the pic above).
Engadget mentions this controversy and goes on to list “some of the lumps Apple’s taken for its ads just in 2006 and 2007″.
For example, “Colorado artist Louis Psihoyos filed suit against Apple for allegedly swiping his wall of videos photo after Apple backed out of negotiations to license the imagery to use in the Apple TV intro video and branding,” says the story, going on:
But Mr. Psihoyos is certainly putting up a much harder fight than artist Christian Marclay gave Apple, with whom he was in negotiations over permission to recreate his 1995 abstract film, Telephones, for use in advertising the iPhone. When Marlay declined, Apple just up and used it anyway, running its own totally indistinct version that aired during – what else? – the Oscars. Marlay abstained from suing.
Engadget goes on to mention the Lugz shoeware scandal and the “the nearly shot-for-shot remake of The Postal Service’s music video for their hit single Such Great Heights,” adding, “let’s get square: nobody likes a ripoff artist, and Apple’s got to learn its lesson before the company crosses the line from Pablo Picasso to Elmyr de Hory.”
If the boot fits ………
Also See:
p2pnet – Apple’s Lugz boot-up, October 26, 2005
The New York Times – Is Imitation Flattery, Theft or Just Coincidence?, October 25, 2005
hand-eye coordination – Playboy’s iPod iBod, January 5, 2005
Apple is furious – Apple ‘distraught’ over iPod copy, March 14, 2005
Engadget – Apple’s little problem with ripping off artists, Juloy 5, 2007
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