back to article 'This is Apple. It will take them 2 weeks to alter their website, will it?'

This was the week when Hurricane Sandy barrelled into the US East Coast, killing more than 90 people, causing widespread flooding and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Before the super-storm made landfall, buildings were closed, businesses went offline and folks were evacuated. The New York Stock Exchange and the …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    iPad Mini traffic

    Apple is trying to avoid the iPad Mini traffic to the website seeing the judgement. It will really hurt the brand. After all they removed the link to the original "apology" quickly enough :D.

    I think the apology should be extended to show regret for non-compliance of the court's original order. That will really dent their brand image.

    1. Bakunin
      Devil

      Re: iPad Mini traffic

      As I recall you'd need an iMagnifying glass to find the link in the first place.

      (I say "as I recall" because it doesn't seem to be there any more. The link is gone from the UK front page and the link in the original Reg article gets redirected without a redirect status. It's like it never existed)

      1. Mark C Casey

        Re: iPad Mini traffic

        The link has since disappeared from the Apple site, so now they're not in compliance of the order at all.

        Bravo to Apple, the judges will have a field day with you.

        1. Psyx

          Re: iPad Mini traffic

          "The link has since disappeared from the Apple site, so now they're not in compliance of the order at all."

          They were given 48 hours.

          Obviously, they're going to take down the notice, get through as much Friday evening/Saturday weekend traffic without seeing it as possible, and then put up the new notice after 47.9 hours.

          It makes perfect sense from a marketing point of view. It'll pi$$ the judges off more, but since when have marketing ever considered basic honesty or regulation to be any of their business?

          1. Mark C Casey

            Re: iPad Mini traffic

            "Obviously, they're going to take down the notice, get through as much Friday evening/Saturday weekend traffic without seeing it as possible, and then put up the new notice after 47.9 hours."

            That's just tempting fate on Apples part. That said, this is all highly entertaining. If Apple hadn't done their little strop this wouldn't be all over the news sites in a Streisand like effect.

          2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
            Boffin

            Re: iPad Mini traffic

            "put up the new notice after 47.9 hours"

            Lets hope the Cupertino webmasters understand timezones :-)

  2. DJO Silver badge

    Say Wha?

    "highly respected online forum The Register"

    Did they say that with a straight face? I know I couldn't!

    1. MrT

      Not often I laugh out loud at a news article...

      ... but that got me.

      Dear ElReg:

      You know all those green shoots of invites to Apple events that you started to get recently...?

      That's just poured a big bucket of Agent Orange over them.

      ;-)

  3. Velv
    Trollface

    Two Weeks to update Apple Website

    Yes, it will take Apple two weeks to add the new "Apology"

    But they appear to have managed to remove the existing apology in just a matter of minutes.

    Hmmmmmmmmm

  4. Tom 13

    Congratulations sirs on a fine bonfire!

    While I realize it is customary to bring marshmallows to such an occasion, for this one I brought along a basket of a well known fruit instead...

    1. Tom 7

      Re: Congratulations sirs on a fine bonfire!

      I've dipped my friends Iproducts in toffee for a giggle. He currently thinks its a cool app to stop it falling out of his pocket.

  5. NightFox

    And I really thought we were getting soooo close to the day when Apple were going to start inviting you to their media events again.

  6. ukgnome
    Thumb Up

    We note that our headline reporting on Apple's statement was apparently read out in court, much to the discomfiture of Cupertino's lawyers.

    *I guess Apple won't ever be commenting on a story ever ever again

  7. Piro Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    An article from El Reg read out in court?

    Fantastic stuff. They were asking for it though, with their statement.

    1. VinceH
      Mushroom

      Re: An article from El Reg read out in court?

      And here's even better stuff:

      Apple has lost their legal claim to the iPhone name in Mexico

      In summary, iFone was registered as a trademark in 2003 - four years before Apple filed for iPhone as a trademark, and six years before Apple decided to sue iFone for using a name too similar to iFone.

      Apple got bruised.

      On top of that, it's swung the other way with iFone bringing a countersuit against Apple, who don't really have a leg to stand on having shot themselves in both feet. What defence do they have? They can't claim iPhone is sufficiently different from iFone if they were previously saying iFone is too similar to iPhone. Well, not while keeping a straight face, anyway.

      At this stage, I would once again like to quote my good buddy, Nelson Muntz, by saying: "HAHA!"

      1. Reg Blank
        Gimp

        Re: iFone/iPhone

        How I wish it was what it seemed.

        Apple lost the appeal to the name "iPhone" for (if I remember correctly) telecommunications services, but they hold the "iPhone" trademark for phones, or mobile devices, or something. So they can still use the name "iPhone", but they can't run a telecommunications service under that name.

        There are multiple classes of trademarks, so a company who sells "fruit" can trademark and run under "Apple Fruit & Veg" while a computer company can trademark and run under "Apple Fruity Toys" as well, and everyone is happy and can get along famously.

        So unless you trademark a name in all 45 classes (which you are entitled to do, but you have to pay for each TM) someone can come along and call themselves "VinceH Sex and Relaxation Services". Unless you have trademarked that class, VinceH?

  8. magickmark
    Facepalm

    Respect...

    The amusing thing, in my opinion, is that all Apple are doing is drawing attention to the issue and also really tarnishing their already starting to faulter image.

    If they had just complied with the order and done as told when told the story would have run its course by now and other than a few quiet headlines probably gone reasonably un-noticed by the general public. But now the headlines are splashed across the general media over a protracted length of time and Apple come off looking looking like dicks.

    Good job Apple!

  9. dlevartt

    Two weeks? Nobody is that incompetent!

    I've been a computer programmer for almost forty years, the last 18 as a web developer and I say if they need more than one day they are clearly incompetent and I don't think they are that.

    Worse case scenario, they are database driven so all they really have to do is manually update one column in one table and they already know which one that is so it's a couple of lines of DB script or they just have a web app(most likely) that they type it into.

    Apple just wants to play with the judges cuz they think nobody knows what they are doing. If I were the judge, I would have simply slapped a contempt fine on them,charging a huge fine every day until they change it, then they would change it in a day.

  10. chris lively
    Headmaster

    Sad panda

    I find it amazing that a UK court has a much better grip on technology affairs than a US court.

    Guess we ( Americans ) still have a lot to learn from our cousins across the pond.

  11. something

    Correct me if I am wrong

    but...

    " A U.S. jury also found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's design and utility patents, awarding over one billion U.S. dollars in damages to Apple Inc. So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung wilfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad."

    Wasn't the same US jury that found that the galaxy tab did not infringe on Apple's design patents and the same US judge that in the beginning of October lifted the ban of Galaxy Tab in the US?

  12. Spoonsinger
    Holmes

    "'This is Apple. It will take them 2 weeks to alter their website, will it?'"

    I'm sceptical about the claim, but in scientific research type manner lets see how long it takes:-

    "We did wrong and were found out. Samsung never has copied any of our ideas/patents or trademarks. We truly apologize for misleading our customers."

    (Posted 13:31 - no idea when it will get through the Reg censor, but I suspect less than 14 days).

    1. Spoonsinger

      Re: "'This is Apple. It will take them 2 weeks to alter their website, will it?'"

      Within the same minute or so, (but slurping coffee so couldn't type).

  13. Ant Evans
    Stop

    Lawyers doing PR

    Letting your lawyer run your PR is like letting your terrier wash your hamster.

  14. PracticeMakesPerfect

    High five, Anna Leach

  15. radariba

    there seems to be something rotten in the corp of Apple...........

  16. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

    I feel some sympathy for Liv...

    ... as I too am talented, and lovely, and have a monopole.

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