Apple Reportedly Paid $21 Million for Rights to Swiss Railways Clock Design

[NinjaHERO]

I don't know what's funnier, the fact that that simplistic looking clock is trademarked or the fact that Apple paid 21 million instead of just tweaking it a bit.

It's a clock face. Doesn't seem worth it.

 

[Gasu E.]

So Apple paid 21 Million for a flippin' clock and only paid 2.5 million to help Hurricane Sandy victims?

How much did you give to help Hurricane Sandy victims?

 

[dazed]

So true. Because that's how Apple have got so big. In fact, from now on, Apple should give to charity all the money they would otherwise spend on R&D.

So apple got so big by stealing a design and then getting caught? You read it here first folks.....

 

[RMo]

Actually, Mondaine bought exclusive rights to the design so they might be entitled to some compensation now that their license no longer is exclusive.

Thanks for that explanation. The summary didn't really make that clear, but perhaps they explained that in a previous story. At least I can understand why it makes sense now.

 

[Yumbo]

I hope the Swiss clock shows up on the iPhone. Not sure why they didn't incorporate it into the iPhone already for consistency.

So that completists buy both the iPad and iPhone. The iPad still doesn't have the Weather (iOS 7) and Stocks (iOS 8) apps.

Calculator for iOS 10!

 

[bigpoppamac31]

Puts things into perspective.
Sandy relief 2.5 million $
Clock face. 21 million $

So true. We also have insanely overpaid sports players, "actors" and "singers" yet many people (I'm sure in the millions) struggle through making minimum wage. Pretty sad how backwards we are these days. We're entertaining ourselves to death.

 

[Drunken Master]

Wait... that clock design is a copyrighted 'design'? It looks like the most generic interpretation of the 'clock concept' I've ever seen.

That's because it was designed in 1944 at a time when most clocks looked like this:

So Hans Hilfiker's design for the railway system that goes to something modern was iconic at the time; it only seems "generic" now because everyone and their mother has copied designs like his (and those at Braun by Rams and Lubs):

Everything you see is designed, this is definitely no different and now Mondaine sells watches with Hilfiker's design:

 

[mblank83]

$21 million for a clock icon and $2.5 million for hurricane relief, atleast we know Apple has their priorities straight

 

[ppdix]

2.5M for hurricane relief and 25M for a clock?

WTF??

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I don't know what's funnier, the fact that that simplistic looking clock is trademarked or the fact that Apple paid 21 million instead of just tweaking it a bit.

It's a clock face. Doesn't seem worth it.

They took the 21M off the icon designer's pay... He makes $10 an hour so he will have to work for Apple for free for the rest of his life... so will his kids, grand kids and so on...

 

[Yoda Mann]

And now, the rest of the story

Here's the bit you yabbos are missing. You know who you are, the great unwashed who don't understand the value of copyright, the original design, or life in general.

If you are Sir Jony, lauded far and wide for your design genius and heir to the Braun design tradition, the Dieter Rams of a new generation, then surely you must most certainly know that the justly famous (minimal, essential and beautiful) Swiss Railway Clock design is a registered trademark. You simply would if your job is design instead of some yutz in his pajamas typing away at his cheeto-stained keyboard.

So it begs the question. Is this one of the bigger "gotchas" in Appledom?

After all, wasn't Scott Forstall the senior vice president of iOS Software? Isn't this his responsibility? And certainly Sir Jony sees what's going on, dislikes Forstall intensely and decides, instead of helping the pushy blighter out, he'll let Scotty string himself up by his own petard and blatantly cop a well-known industrial design patent. Just to prove a point?

Why the frick not?

 

[MacDav]

Total waste of money. Of course I'm biased since I really don't care for this clock design much. Seems the more Apple like way would be to design a unique clock face of their own and save 21 million, but what do I know? If Steve Jobs were still alive...just kidding

 

[VenusianSky]

Either pay $21 mil to avoid court, or pay x + $21 mil for court and settlement.

 

[Drunken Master]

Oh, and for what it's worth, the second hand is supposed to mimic the "rote kelle" that the Swiss train conductor flashes:

 

[rei101]

Greedy with customer service? Not sure those words belong together.

So it sounds like you were hoping to get a _better_ battery for free? When I've purchased replacement batteries, they've typically been more than $100, so you probably got yours at a discount. Why are you complaining?

But to take a couple of steps back... why are your batteries exploding? Are you letting them get too hot?

It has the regular use, besides my bed, web browsing at night and at the morning. Its a 17" MBP, I have this iMac and another iMac at work. The battery started to expand all of the sudden in 3 day period, started on a Monday and I went to the Apple store on Friday when the thing was already huge. The first battery they gave me a year ago or so was free. This one was a refurbish (not new) for $100.

 

[Morod]

"Time is money".

 

[devilstrider]

Let me get this straight: APPLE has paid 21 million to the Swiss Federal Railways for their iconic clock design, and none of that money may be going to MONDAINE, who is the "sole consumer-focused licensee of the design" and who, despite being reportedly 'happy' about the increased visibility, are NOW, in "discussions" with the SFR. I smell legal complications. Hope this isn't going to be like PROVIEW and the Chinese all over again.

Yeah SFR tried to get over.

 

[RobertMartens]

This is one of the few parts of iOS where I reckon skeuomorphism actually looks good!

There's that word again! I don't know how we made it so long with out.

skeuomorphism, skeuomorphism,skeuomorphism say it again

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How much did you give to help Hurricane Sandy victims?

Oops, were we supposed to give?

 

[Marrakas]

Holy crap that's a lot of money for something nobody really cares about.

 

[Andeavor]

Holy crap that's a lot of money for something nobody really cares about.

Look at it this way. Say you created a clock design and patented it, then 20 years later a big company like Apple or Microsoft uses that clock design for their OS without asking let alone paying you... how would you feel then?

 

[CoreForce]

Look at it this way. Say you created a clock design and patented it, then 20 years later a big company like Apple or Microsoft uses that clock design for their OS without asking let alone paying you... how would you feel then?

More than this, this Design is really recognized by every person and present in everyday life here in Switzerland.
It is a living trademark and symbolic for the unprecedented precise timing of Swiss railroad service.

 

[Millah]

Or you could look at it another way - 21 million that could have been spent upgrading Mac Pro or fixing Final Cut Pro X, but they chose to spend it on a fancy clock instead.

I'm sure they're spending plenty of money doing that. Have patience. Sheesh. They've got 100 billion dollars in the bank, you think they somehow can't afford to do both?

 

[Fandongo]

And my parents told me to not become a clock maker...

 

[Millah]

Wait... that clock design is a copyrighted 'design'? It looks like the most generic interpretation of the 'clock concept' I've ever seen.

Come on now, this is the kind of argument Fandroids use when talking about the iPhone design. This watch design only seems generic to you now, because you're looking at it 60 years later. Things are always obvious in hindsight. Whether its the iPhone design, or a clock face.

Everything that you see and use in life is designed by somebody. Some designs can become so good that they feel "undesigned." That's the hallmark of exceptional design. And that's probably why Apple used it in the app, as an homage to an iconic and exceptional design. Just like they do for some of Dieter Rams designs

 

[Fandongo]

I'm sure they're spending plenty of money doing that. Have patience. Sheesh. They've got 100 billion dollars in the bank, you think they somehow can't afford to do both?

Shhh, don't crack the nest egg.
In tomorrows news: Apple announces $20million in layoffs... "This is in no way related to the recent [drunk] purchase of a theoretical clock."

Edit: However, It was a much better deal than instagram.

 

[Lancer]

Cheaper than a lawsuit but ITA why?

Surely someone could have designed something similar that looks just as good.