Luxury Watchmakers Cracking Down on 'Pirated' Smartwatch Faces

[MacRumors]

As smartwatches based on Android Wear and other operating systems continue to proliferate, users have been increasingly looking to download digital likenesses of high-end watch faces onto their favorite wearable tech devices. The luxury watchmakers behind the real-world design of the digital "fake" versions are now attempting to put an end to those creating smartwatch clones of their products, according to TorrentFreak.

Last week, Apple released its WatchKit developer tools, allowing developers to begin creating apps for the soon-to-be-released Apple Watch. Those developer tools do not currently support the creation of custom watch face designs, but it is possible they could do so in the future once Apple begins supporting fully native Apple Watch apps next year.

Companies including IWC, Panerai, Omega, Fossil, Armani, Michael Kors, Tissot, Certina, Swatch, Flik Flak, and Mondaine are sending cease-and-desist notices to websites, and even individuals, thought to be offering faces for Android Wear and other smartwatch platforms without permission. The watchmakers are citing various registered trademark, design, and copyright violations.

Richemont, the company behind IWC, Cartier, and Panerai, is one of the front-runners of the legal action and is giving owners of the pirate watch face sites as little as twenty-four hours to remove all infringing content.

TorrentFreak spoke with Luke, the owner of FaceRepo, one of the watchface download sites targeted by pirate allegations. He voiced support of the anti-piracy steps being taken, and detailed the use of a keyword filter they use that helps stop infringing content before it can even be uploaded. Users are also notified if their created designs are infringing copyright, and goes so far as to deactivate accounts of repeat offenders.

"Although some of the replica faces we've received take downs for are very cool looking and represent significant artistic talent on the part of the designer, we believe that owners of copyrights or trademarks have the right to defend their brand," Luke explained.

"If a copyright or trademark owner contacts us, we will promptly remove infringing material. To date, all requests for removal of infringing material have been satisfied within a matter of hours."

Apple itself hasn't even become a player yet in the smartwatch market and has already faced allegations such as these. Back in 2012, the Swiss Federal Railway service accused Apple of copying its iconic railway clock. A few months after the allegation, Apple reportedly paid the company $21 million for the rights to the clock face design.

Article Link: Luxury Watchmakers Cracking Down on 'Pirated' Smartwatch Faces

 

[The Doctor11]

Apple reportedly paid the company $21 million for the rights to the clock face design.

That's a lot for a watch face...

 

[markfc]

Finally, I get a knight rider watch face...

 

[Yvan256]

Standard?

Why can't all companies sit down and establish some kind of standard together for plain smartwatch faces? (standard 12/24 hours clock with the date)

edit: when I wrote this I had "file package" in mind, not sure why I didn't specify in my original post. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Here's what I meant to write, in more details:

Why can't companies sit down and establish some kind of standard file format and display system for plain smartwatch faces? Ex: buy a watch face from Rolex, install it on your Apple Watch. If the standard was limited to displaying the time and date (with format choices built-in in the standard, i.e. 12/24 hours, ISO date format, etc) then everybody would win. Watch companies, smartwatch companies, authors, users.

 

[DanielSw]

That's a lot for a watch face...

No it isn't, mainly because you don't know the intended usage, nor the terms of the licensing agreement.

 

[LordQ]

That's a lot for a watch face...

And stupid considering they ditched it in iOS 7.

 

[DanielSw]

Why can't all companies sit down and establish some kind of standard together for plain smartwatch faces? (standard 12/24 hours clock with the date)

Ridiculous. That'd be "political correctness" taken to an ad nauseum extreme.

Creativity will out, yet it always has to respect the IP rights of others.

----------

And stupid considering they ditched it in iOS 7.

No more "stupid" than people complaining that their recently purchased device is suddenly obsoleted by a new version.

The transaction was made, most likely with no coercion by either party. Even Apple wouldn't have known at the time that its plans would change in the future.

 

[Mashurrab]

Not surprised

ah

And welcome to the world of Android

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

No it isn't, mainly because you don't know the intended usage, nor the terms of the licensing agreement.

You shouldn't assert that it isn't a stupid amount for the same reason that the person you're responding to shouldn't assert that it is - neither of you know the intended usage, nor the terms of the licensing agreement (and if you do, you probably wouldn't be posting here or you'd probably be violating some sort of NDA with Apple.)

 

[doelcm82]

Why can't all companies sit down and establish some kind of standard together for plain smartwatch faces? (standard 12/24 hours clock with the date)

Then everyone's watch would look double-plus identical.

----------

The killer app for smart watches will be watch face editors. You want a Mickey Mouse watch with the bloody hands from Escape from Tomorrow? Just rip the images from websites (or make your own), and assign them to the relevant parts in the editor.

Well maybe not a killer app, but the smart watch equivalent of ringtone editors.

 

[lincolntran]

ah

And welcome to the world of Android

The wild west where laws are optional?

 

[cogitodexter]

I'm surprised it took the watchmakers this long, to be honest.

I don't blame them though. I'm designing watch faces of my own for when it's possible to release them. I certainly don't want people knocking them off.

 

[Klae17]

Why can't all companies sit down and establish some kind of standard together for plain smartwatch faces? (standard 12/24 hours clock with the date)

Just don't copy others. Why have meaningless and costly meetings when all you have to do is make your own design without infringing?

 

[gnasher729]

That's a lot for a watch face...

That's because someone at Apple messed up and used the design, and _afterwards_ Apple paid for a license, from a very very bad negotiation position. It would have been a lot less if Apple had negotiated first and signed the contract and _then_ used the design.

Let's say you drive away in my car in front of a dozen witnesses. You are caught and you say "I didn't want to steal that car, I wanted to buy it and used it for a test drive. How much do you want for it"?

 

[quickcalibre]

Post removed by user due to users commenting on personal life, come here to talk about apple, not my business or real life.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

But I wasn't copying the Rolex's watch face! I was copying the cheap Chinese knock-off version's watch face!

 

[Attonine]

Well that's just stupid, most high end watch faces are standard and used among many brands.

Are they?

 

[Rossatron]

Well that's just stupid, most high end watch faces are standard and used among many brands.

that is untrue on so many levels

 

[fredaroony]

Well that's just stupid, most high end watch faces are standard and used among many brands.

Care to provide some proof?

 

[A MacBook lover]

And stupid considering they ditched it in iOS 7.

They probably paid to license for the time they used it 'without asking'. Ditched it because it was expensive to continue licensing.

That's because someone at Apple messed up and used the design, and _afterwards_ Apple paid for a license, from a very very bad negotiation position. It would have been a lot less if Apple had negotiated first and signed the contract and _then_ used the design.

Let's say you drive away in my car in front of a dozen witnesses. You are caught and you say "I didn't want to steal that car, I wanted to buy it and used it for a test drive. How much do you want for it"?

 

[DoubleU]

And stupid considering they ditched it in iOS 7.

They ditched it in iOS 7 so that they wouldn't have to make any further royalty payments.

 

[Porco]

Finally, facepalmgate!

 

[JGRE]

Companies including IWC, Panerai, Omega, Fossil, Armani, Michael Kors, Tissot, Certina, Swatch, Flik Flak, and Mondaine are sending cease-and-desist notices to websites........

Sad brands that actually feel treated by this..........

BTW Klik Flak? never heard off.

 

[TimelessOne]

That's a lot for a watch face...

basicly the swish company had Apple over a barrel and they both knew it. Apple screwed up big time in that one. It was lets pay the off and take care of it.

 

[Jessem1133]

Why can't all companies sit down and establish some kind of standard together for plain smartwatch faces? (standard 12/24 hours clock with the date)

Yikes dude, seriously?
Why can't all shoe companies just come together and create one standard shoe? Or just one standard type of car?