Swiss Federal Railways Says Apple Copied Its Iconic Railway Clock

[50548]

Dear Lawyer,
i see you have no idea how our little country works. Switzerland has a unique voting system among democracies which makes us responsible what happens in our country. Responsibility is the word which many of other countries lack at the moment. Everyone is complaining about their governement and take absolutely no responsibility for anything. And this political system give us Swiss people at the end more power than the governement itself has (of course it's still a democracy - some votes you'll win others you loose). I think this is the main reason, why our economy works so well at the moment: not because of the money but because we are responsible for our country instead of complaining all the time.

To discuss the topic: I think Apple knows exactly what they were doing with the clock. Thanks for the discussion and the Swiss advertising - for free

Trust me, I know how your country works - perhaps too well, in fact.

Direct democracy (for some but not all things, as there is a framework for delegation of powers) doesn't mean your government can't screw up - or your people, for that matter.

----------

For someone who was not born and raised in Switzerland, and does not know its cultural background, it might be difficult to understand why Swiss do the things the way they do ... what it comes down to, it is just in their DNA. You probably will never understand them or accept the Swiss way of life.

There are many things that are not perfect in CH, but using words like "stupid" toward the average Swiss, shows quite some ignorance and intolerance towards his host country. I'm Swiss, living in the U.S. which I love, but also see many imperfections in the way Americans do things, nevertheless, I try to show tolerance and respect and therefore I might even learn something from them. Who is to say, that your opinion about CH is the right one? Sounds pretty conceded to me!

Chisnic, I have already explained: my criticism was about the average Swiss customer and the mentality behind it. Read my post again and you'll see it with different colors.

 

[coccodrillo]

Trust me, I know how your country works - perhaps too well, in fact.

Direct democracy (for some but not all things, as there is a framework for delegation of powers) doesn't mean your government can't screw up - or your people, for that matter.

Ok,
I see: you have no idea. We have a half-direct democracy, not a direct one.

 

[teflonthedon]

Bs

This is BS … the times aren't even the same

 

[NedBookPro]

This put a big smile on my face...

Wonder what will come of it all.

Perhaps Karma is real...

.

 

[50548]

Ok,
I see: you have no idea. We have a half-direct democracy, not a direct one.

If you had read my post with a little more attention, you'd have understood it - "direct democracy" is the expression widely used for the Swiss system - with the caveat that I indicated.

http://direct-democracy.geschichte-schweiz.ch

 

[subsonix]

This put a big smile on my face...

Wonder what will come of it all.

Perhaps Karma is real...

.

Either they will come to an agreement or Apple needs to change it, what do you expect? Unless of course Apple acts like complete idiots and flat out deny any resemblance like Samsung.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Didn't Steve invent the clock right after he invented the rectangle?

 

[wovel]

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


Switzerland's Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, or Swiss Federal Railway service, has accused Apple of using their iconic clock in its Clock app for iPad without permission, according to a report in the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger [Google Translate].

Image

Left: Apple's Clock app. Right: The iconic Swiss Railway clock. Courtesy Wikipedia​

The clock, designed by Hans Hilfiker, has become an icon of both the Swiss railway and of Switzerland itself. The trademark and copyright for the clock is owned by the Swiss Federal Railways service.

According to the article:The paper notes that Apple Switzerland declined to comment and directed reporters to Apple's corporate headquarters in the United States.

The clock's image is widely licensed, with the watchmaker Mondaine selling replicas around the world.

(Thanks for the translation, Dave!)

Article Link: Swiss Federal Railways Says Apple Copied Its Iconic Railway Clock

So the Swiss protect clock face designs for 70 years.

 

[movieator]

Steve Jobs skulle aldrig ha tillåtit detta.

 

[coccodrillo]

If you had read my post with a little more attention, you'd have understood it - "direct democracy" is the expression widely used for the Swiss system - with the caveat that I indicated.

http://direct-democracy.geschichte-schweiz.ch

Then it's just wrong. There are quite big differences. But it's not the place to discuss it. And I'm already happy that a US citizien knows that Switzerland has a democracy.

 

[subsonix]

Didn't Steve invent the clock right after he invented the rectangle?

Another argument that reduce the discussion to basic geometric shapes. How original.

 

[wolfmaniac]

Trust me, I know how your country works - perhaps too well, in fact.

Direct democracy (for some but not all things, as there is a framework for delegation of powers) doesn't mean your government can't screw up - or your people, for that matter.

----------



Chisnic, I have already explained: my criticism was about the average Swiss customer and the mentality behind it. Read my post again and you'll see it with different colors.

It is difficult to discuss with someone who thinks he knows everything better ... so, just let it go, don't waste your time on someone like that!

 

[AppleScruff1]

Another argument that reduce the discussion to basic geometric shapes. How original.

That's the gist of it, isn't it?

 

[wovel]

Then it's just wrong. There are quite big differences. But it's not the place to discuss it. And I'm already happy that a US citizien knows that Switzerland has a democracy.

Why?

 

[subsonix]

That's the gist of it, isn't it?

Not really, it's to reduce the argument to the point where it loses meaning.

 

[wovel]

I am an IP lawyer (among other areas) and must clarify that copyright and patent apply to totally distinct subject matters. As far as I could find, SBB only detains a tridimensional trademark on the clock, which of course entitles it to seek infringement remedies.

Apple may have thought it to be in the public domain; but if the term of protection is still valid, this would actually be a pretty sloppy job (not that it surprises me, as engineers and marketing people OFTEN do their crap BEFORE consulting counsel).

That answers my question. Thanks. I was thinking it was a long time to protect a design. Obviously a trademark of an existing business is different.

Not any excuse for Apple screwing this up.

 

[ferrariguy90]

Actually I bet Jony Ive is fuming about this - he doesn't like skeuomorphic design and this is a case that is now about to cause Apple problems, all the more reason to drop it (even if it does work in some cases!).

THIS.

Apple is finally going to have to answer for its extreme skeumorphism—and pay for it!

 

[fjpoblam]

Bezel, brandname...

...hour markers slightly thicker, hands slightly thicker. What else do you need? Are they trying to say any round thing with a white background and sixty marks emphasizing twelve of them and three pointers can be trademarked? Why, heck, that's almost as bad as saying a flat rectangular thing with rounded corners can be trademarked!

 

[koban4max]

There's really no dispute here, but c'mon, a clock face? Are we going to start accusing Maxis of copying Sherwin-Williams' wallpaper because there's a similar shade of blue in the Sims?

....yes.....

 

[kockgunner]

Apple is making themselves very hard to defend. I agree with the Apple-Samsung lawsuit verdict, but this is hypocrisy and I imagine would make Samsung's appeal stronger.

 

[koruki]

In the last year of Samsung suing articles, I've read countless people quoting Steve's great artist steal quote out of context. The original quote is Picasso

http://www.sitepoint.com/copy-great-designers-steal/

This case is what Steve referred to as stealing great ideas and making it your own. The iPhone isn't a clock, they are not in the business of selling clocks. Neither is the Swiss rail. To take beautiful design of a famous clock solely for the purpose of having a person connect to what they see is what Steve had always mean when he referred to the quote.

How is this different from the Samsung case? Samsung took the iPhone, copied the design to make what? a rival iPhone, it directly effects Apple as a business. Where Apple has "stolen" ideas in daily life and put it into the iPhone, Samsung has 'copied' the entire product. unless you can say the Swiss rail is going to lose customers because people can see a photo of the clock on their iPhone and no longer make the trip to take a train I don't see how this is going to get very far.

 

[millertime021]

Good, I hate that red circle on the seconds hand.

 

[pittpanthersfan]

Oops.

 

[macingman]

There's really no dispute here, but c'mon, a clock face? Are we going to start accusing Maxis of copying Sherwin-Williams' wallpaper because there's a similar shade of blue in the Sims?

If apple can patent their own designs this company can copyright their's to. All is fair.

 

[crls0202]

Yeah Tim, like you said: "...stealing is not right."