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Apple sues eMachines
ApplePosted by Hemos on Friday August 20, @09:00AM
from the continuing-on-the-money-path dept.
Phrogz writes "Apple, following their July 1st lawsuits against Future Power and Daewoo for the same, is now suing eMachines for their use of an iMac-style design (the eMachines eOne). "

 

 
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    Apple sues eMachines | Login/Create an Account | Top | 213 comments | Search Discussion
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    Re:Ugh. (Score:2)
    by Evro on Friday August 20, @04:49AM (#1735844)
    (User #18923 Info | http://www.evanhoffman.com/aimster/ | Last Journal: Thursday February 07, @10:16PM)
    From the Yahoo article:

    "An eMachines spokesperson said in the paper that it was hoping to trade off Apple's brand name. If I was their lawyer, I would have died when I read that," says Weinstein, who practices trademark litigation. She says it gives Apple a chance to charge eMachines with willful infringement. Apple did not return calls seeking comment. "

    Here is the point: they were trying to make money off Apple's success.

    I have never seen a Fiat spider and so I can't comment on it. Maybe the fact that I've never seen one says something about why Mazda didn't get sued: the Fiat design was a flop while the Miata was a huge success.

    Sure, car companies make cars that are ripoffs of each other all the time (see any SUV), but not when the styling of the car is so distinctive, as is the case for the Vette or Firebird. Otherwise, why wouldn't cheap car manufacturers just make a replica of the Vette's body and put it on a v6 and sell it for $15k?
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Apple Closed Out... (Score:1)
    by fledgling on Friday August 20, @04:50AM (#1735845)
    (User #79461 Info)
    Swano, maybe you should take a rest from huffing the model glue every now and then ;-)
    [ Parent ]
    Connectix VirtualPC (Score:2)
    by Evro on Friday August 20, @04:51AM (#1735846)
    (User #18923 Info | http://www.evanhoffman.com/aimster/ | Last Journal: Thursday February 07, @10:16PM)
    ...runs win98 on a Mac and any Applications that run on win98. I think it's about $150 (which includes the win98 price)
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Apple's identity crisis. (Score:1)
    by SirSlud on Monday August 23, @06:14AM (#1735847)
    (User #67381 Info | http://www.besonic.com/nufunq | Last Journal: Wednesday February 13, @02:58PM)
    No, it's not a hard concept to grasp. I understand perfectly the intent of eMachines and FuturePower, but that doesn't mean Apple has to act fazed by their actions. Even so, clearly even the most uninformed PC consumer must understand that even though most PCs look strikingly similar (the off-white-box look), they are not created equal. Why doesn't this translate to the iMac then too? At any rate, Apple is still making a statement with their actions, and despite the fact that it's probably completely justified, it still doesn't say much to me about their confidence in their hardware and software: "Lots of people are buying our machines for the look." It scares me to think their research dollars are going into the design of the box, when it should be going into bringing the OS back into the position of most advanced as it once was (a long long time ago). As a long time Mac user and Apple fan, this is why I switched to PCs and havn't gone back. To me they seem to have no vision anymore. Although to be fair, maybe it's my vision that's changed, as I became more and more of a power user, not theirs.
    [ Parent ]
    RedHat could sue them...and win (Score:1)
    by CapS on Saturday August 28, @10:47PM (#1735849)
    (User #83352 Info)
    If Mandrake's logo is similar enough to possibly confuse buyers, then RedHat could sue, and win.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Pot calling the kettle black? (Score:1)
    by orange on Friday August 20, @08:56AM (#1735850)
    (User #12033 Info | http://orange-tree.alt.za)
    Wow, you mistook a vaccum for a computer?
    [ Parent ]
    LinuxPPC runs perfectly on an iMac (Score:1)
    by CapS on Saturday August 28, @10:54PM (#1735851)
    (User #83352 Info)
    Check out http://www.linuxppc.com/hardware/.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Good for Apple (Score:1)
    by Hotrod on Sunday August 29, @09:36PM (#1735853)
    (User #83680 Info)
    Apple should sue Emachines they did rip off the iMacs design style But the iMac is still far better than any thing Emachines make. Emachines are pieces crap I used one "a freind of mine was stupid enough to buy one he sent it back after and got an iMac instead"and it was the most sloppily built machine I ever use Linux would not load on it Quake II played 3 times faster on a rev A iMac then it does on the eOne also that $400 isp rebate cost over 790.20.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Who's Apple going to sue next? (Score:1)
    by orange on Friday August 20, @09:02AM (#1735854)
    (User #12033 Info | http://orange-tree.alt.za)
    The issue here is whether or not the consumer will buy a computer thinking they've purchased an iMac. Apple isn't going to sue a mouse maker for using translucent plastic in a mouse because it isn't possible for the consumer to mistake it for an iMac and also because this doesn't strip revenue away from Apple. eMachines is leeching off Apple's R&D by using Apple's design to trick the consumer into mistaking their computer for an iMac.
    [ Parent ]
    myth busting (Score:1)
    by Scudsucker on Friday August 20, @09:05AM (#1735856)
    (User #17617 Info | http://slashdot.org/)
    Sorry dude, Xerox got paid with stock from Apple.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:too different (Score:1)
    by multicore on Friday August 20, @09:13AM (#1735857)
    (User #78704 Info)
    Inferior??? I've been using Macs for five years now (two different machines, my daughter still using the first) and have never had to reinstall system or application software once. Never. I recall reading back in '95 of all the Windows95 problems and the contortions users were going thru to render their machines useable. I remarked to my wife that had we owned one of those computers, I would have thrown it out the window.
    You would think that young /.ers with the intelligence to tinker with 'nix and mobos could realize that most computer users want to get work done with their machines - not work on them.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Have you ever........ (Score:1)
    by Scudsucker on Friday August 20, @09:19AM (#1735858)
    (User #17617 Info | http://slashdot.org/)
    Remember from who Apple got the idea for the mouse and the GUI for their OS. I don't recall anyone at Apple paying for it either.....

    "Pirates" was drama, not an historically correct documentary. You see, Xerox did get paid- with Apple stock.
    [ Parent ]
    oh really (Score:1)
    by Scudsucker on Friday August 20, @09:21AM (#1735859)
    (User #17617 Info | http://slashdot.org/)
    Is Apple suing them for ripping off a motherboard design? No, they're suing because this PC is a blatant rip off of the iMacs design.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Ugh. (Score:1)
    by Darth Hubris on Friday August 20, @09:32AM (#1735860)
    (User #26923 Info)
    Agreed, on the I-macness of said product.

    They could have made the case red and black carbon-fiber and probably not gotten into hot water. They should have patterned it after Air Jordans, would have been harder to mistake for shoes. I like the idea of the I-mac, and the E-thingy has some interesting features, but this was not the way to go.
    [ Parent ]
    Please shift your point of view..... (Score:1)
    by MacBastard on Friday August 20, @09:33AM (#1735861)
    (User #79902 Info | http://www.gamersdepot.com)
    As others have pointed out today, and before when the Future Power lawsuit was announced, these suits have NOTHING to do with these products being computer products. Trade dress is the name of the game here folks, and DRESS is exactly what it sounds like - IT'S NOT WHAT'S INSIDE THAT COUNTS.

    The following points will NOT be considered by the judge (or jury - I'm not exactly sure how this is handled at trial):
    - What type of operating systems these machines use.
    - What kinds of processors or specific pieces of hardware are included or not included.

    What will be considered:
    - Does the appearance of the product in question have enough similarities to cause marketplace confusion in the "average" consumers mind?
    - Was there intent to use these similarities to trade on the good will of the Apple product design?
    - If intent can be established, what damages should be awarded?

    Remember, these suits have absolutely nothing to do with these being computers. Someone on /. pointed out before that if you designed a similar bottle to Coca Cola's distinctive design, just changing the curve of the bottle slightly, Coca Cola would be all over you with lawyers. It wouldn't matter if you put a cola-like beverage in it, or maple syrup, or monkey piss! What matters is how the appearance of the product influences the consumer.

    Shallow as this is, this is point of the lawsuits.

    Marc

    - Linux shall overcome -
    [ Parent ]
    Re:"Use it or lose it" (Score:1)
    by GatorMan (core09@hotmail.NOSPAM.com) on Friday August 20, @04:52AM (#1735863)
    (User #70959 Info)
    I think you're absolutely right. I also think Apple is obligated to publicly insult both Daewoo/FuturePower and eMachines.

    Its kind of sad that just because Apple revolutionized the consumer market [again] they have to pay with immatation.

    But it was bound to happen.

    [ Parent ]
    Re:Ugh. (Score:1)
    by My_Favorite_Anonymou on Friday August 20, @04:53AM (#1735864)
    (User #36494 Info | http://yechen.org)
    Honestly, I would like to buy a 14k Porsche ripoff.

    CY
    [ Parent ]
    What Part of "Theft" Don't You Understand? (Score:2)
    by Fleet Admiral Ackbar (squid@columbus.rr.com) on Friday August 20, @05:01AM (#1735866)
    (User #57723 Info | http://synecdoche.net)
    What everyone seems to be missing (probably due to an unreasonable hatred of Apple) is that these machines are designed to confuse customers into purchasing them instead of iMacs!

    eMachines, Daewoo, and Future Power aren't trying to sell neat-looking PCs. That's perfectly legal. They are trying to mislead customers. That's not legal. Apple paid a LOT of money for the iMac design. These others are stealing it, plain and simple, just like Smith & Wesson did with Glock.


    This is tantamount to Microsoft selling Win98 in boxes featuring penguins and "Open Source" stickers. If you disagree with that, disagree with the eMachines crap.

    [ Parent ]
    they're fighting for a different market (Score:1)
    by dammitjim on Friday August 20, @05:03AM (#1735867)
    (User #10999 Info)
    Why bother hating Apple at all? Get over it, people. Stick to Linux, build beige Wintel boxes from scratch, and upgrade all you like.

    If you don't like the iMac, or any Apple product for that matter, don't buy it. Vote with your wallet just like everyone else in our market economy.

    But at least try to understand that Apple and Compaq and Sony and a ton of other companies are also vying for the customers that DO like machines with colors and curves. They don't understand computers as well. They want to send email and use Quicken or something. The machine will look good in their den.

    Just because you don't feel marketed to by a certain company or product, just because they're not offering something for your "power user" tastes, doesn't mean it's worthless.

    The iMac is selling like crazy and Apple wants to protect their investment in design and marketing for as long as they can. It's just business.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Connectix VirtualPC (Score:1)
    by Maserati on Friday August 20, @05:06AM (#1735868)
    (User #8679 Info | http://creekside.editthispage.com/)
    and their RealPC product is $50 because it's the only mass-market (as mass market as any Mac software is) PC 'clone' that ships without an OS. No Windows, just (I think) QDOS. I've got Win98 on my copy (spare license) for games and various small utilities that haven't a mac equivalent.

    Unlike VirtualPC you can run any OS that'll run on generic x86 compatible hardware. At work were're looking at setting up our Powerbook G3 users with our standard Y2K build (NT4). That'd put them ahead of the poor SOBs stuck with Win95 laptops.

    Why limit yourself to one OS at a time.

    [ Parent ]
    try display doctor (Score:1)
    by MacJedi (macjedi@metalab.unc.edu) on Friday August 20, @05:08AM (#1735870)
    (User #173 Info | http://ibiblio.org/macjedi)

    I have had lots of luck with Display Doctor when trying to get weird graphics cards to work. You can download it from here. I think its a 30 day demo or something and its pretty cheap to buy it. I have no idea if it will work with the eMachine's chipset, but hey, worth a shot.

    [ Parent ]
    Re:Apple Closed Out... (Score:1)
    by Swano on Friday August 20, @05:09AM (#1735871)
    (User #12778 Info)
    yeah, maybe...

    [ Parent ]
    Dogmatic biases (Score:1)
    by fledgling on Friday August 20, @09:49AM (#1735873)
    (User #79461 Info)
    Apple has every right and an obligation to sue to protect it's intellectual property. If any of you armchair Marxists had a clue you would know this!

    Furthermore...

    Is a tool inherently less powerful because anyone can use it? I think not. In fact, if anything it's often just the opposite. Do all you Linux purist, Mac-bashers forgo using the remotes for your TV's?

    No?

    Well, using your silly complexity/inscrutability = superior power, elitist "logic" perhaps you should be rubbing two sticks together for your morning toast too!!

    If you don't need to manually configure everything about your computer system, why the hell should you? Inconceivable as it may be for many of you, some people don't see the need for this and will gladly even pay a little more to avoid the hassle of dealing with the complexity within which you may thrive.

    Hack away and build your *nix boxes with the sweat and toil that gives you such personal satisfation, just don't presume that anyone who doesn't see the world from your miopic point of view is idiotic. This sort of arrogance is no better than that of the Windows-centric conformity which you are supposedly trying to subvert!


    get a grip! or a grep if you prefer;-)

    [ Parent ]
    Look and Feel? (Score:1)
    by Evangelion (iwarford@rogers.com) on Friday August 20, @04:02AM (#1735875)
    (User #2145 Info | http://slashdot.org/)
    Look and Feel lawsuits never worked for Apple, did they?
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Please define "vaguely defined" (Score:1)
    by PieceMaker (aressjayjr at SPAMAWAY.hotmail.com) on Friday August 20, @09:52AM (#1735876)
    (User #16268 Info)
    It was precisely my point that the law sucks here.

    Yes, I can pick an iMac out of a lineup with six other consumer level desktop computers. But, how different do those other computers have to be before they are acceptable? You'll just know it when you see it? Not good enough, sorry.

    If a desktop PC maker made a computer that was shaped identical to an iMac, but was in an obviously different color from any offered for the iMac, would it infringe? After all, it would be distinctively NOT an iMac, since Apple never offered an iMac in that color before. What if the colored plastic was not translucent? So, unique color and opaque plastic -- does it infringe then?

    What does Apple have rights to here? Colored computers? Translucent plastic? The retro-50's look? One-button mice? Combo CPU-Monitor packaging?

    The law, and the mindset that argues for it, is what bothers me here, because the law is too vague. A person cannot be sure when they are in violation of it and this creates anti-competitive pressure in the market -- bad for consumers.
    ---
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Look and Feel? (Score:1)
    by Thagg (thad@hammerhead.com) on Friday August 20, @04:06AM (#1735880)
    (User #9904 Info | http://www.hammerhead.com/ | Last Journal: Wednesday January 16, @07:15PM)
    Apparently there is some fairly well established law on 'Trade Dress', that this lawsuit is filed under. Makes me wanna puke, but apparently they have a case.
    [ Parent ]
    Maybe the other ones made sense.... (Score:1)
    by jimfrost (jimf@frostbytes.com) on Friday August 20, @04:07AM (#1735882)
    (User #58153 Info | http://world.std.com/~jimf)
    ...but eOne doesn't look much like an iMac at all. It's way more boxy, different lines. I can't see myself confusing them.

    I guess Apple feels that if you design an all-in-one computer with a translucent case you're infringing on their rights.

    I can't say it ever really appealed to me, but my pager was done in that style years ago so it's not like Apple invented it.

    Maybe it's time to do another march like we did years back: "Lotus, Apple, Ashton-Tate ... innovate don't litigate."
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Baseless and stoopid..... (Score:1)
    by gorilla on Friday August 20, @10:01AM (#1735883)
    (User #36491 Info)
    Actually, having the monitor & CPU as seperate items is the innovation, not the opposite.

    Look at terminals from the late 60's and 70's, and you will invariably see a single box for the terminal's CPU & the monitor part. Often the keyboard was part of the same box too.

    When business PCs came out (Long before the IBM PC), they us often styled the same way, for example the Commodore Pet series.

    [ Parent ]
    Re:What Part of "Theft" Don't You Understand? (Score:1)
    by Aminojaku on Friday August 20, @10:11AM (#1735885)
    (User #79945 Info)
    Explain to me something. How can a case design that was started BEFORE, and in another country, the iMac was released be a rip off? Is it because it was first on the market? If that is true then Microsoft should have sued Apple for the "look and feal" of the GUI interface instead of the other way around. After all, PC's with Windows shipped BEFORE the Macintosh was shipped.
    [ Parent ]
    Bad Move (Score:1)
    by tak amalak (takamalak@yahoo.delete.com) on Friday August 20, @04:07AM (#1735886)
    (User #55584 Info | http://www.angelfire.com/mac/outsider/home.html)
    Bad move Apple. This eOne is quite ugly and you had nothing to worry about. I think its just a ploy to delay possible shipment or maybe just to put the eOne in a bad light until the new iMacs come out in the Fall. oh well.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Dogmatic biases (Score:1)
    by gorilla on Friday August 20, @10:16AM (#1735887)
    (User #36491 Info)
    The question I have is is a combined cpu & monitor, colour scheme & curvyness to the case intellectual property?

    Every year, there are famous clothing designers producing expensive clothing. They decide that pastel coloured short skirts with black jackets are 'this years' hot item and fill the catwalks with pastel coloured short skirts. Most people don't buy their clothes from this sort of designer, so the designers for the chain stores make their own pastel coloured short skirts & black jackets. They're not the same as the original, they not designed by the original designer, but they are what a their audience wants. No-one has ever (afaik) sued a designer for ripping off their choice of colours & fabrics.

    The translucent case with bright colours is a fashion IMO. The iMac might have been the first to sport it, but now I've seen it not only in the PC clones being sued, but also the Rio 300 Special edition and no doubt more will come.

    I'd say that most markets have fashions. Stereo components used to come in wooden style. Nowadays they all come in black. Knobs & things you can twirl were replaced by up and down buttons, but now things you can twirl are making a comeback. Remotes originally had just simple arrays of buttons, most remotes nowadays have the buttons arranged to match the function (rewind on the left, fast forward on the right).

    Fashions are not intellectual property IMO.

    [ Parent ]
    What is Apple afraid of? (Score:1)
    by Aminojaku on Friday August 20, @10:19AM (#1735889)
    (User #79945 Info)
    So, Apple still can't make a computer that is a good home computer so they sue the fist set of PC's that even remotely look like the failed iMac. This is just as bad as when Microsoft tried to trademark "Windows". If Apple really felt like they had something with the iMac then why didn't the PATENT the design. You can do that you know. But, they didn't.

    And why are they not suing Nintendo. Nintendo has now changed the names of all thier Color Gameboys to fruity names just like the iMac. They originaly came in Purple and Clear Purple. Now you can't get Purple, and Clear Purple is Grape. And there are other fruity clear colors as well.

    And then there are all of the clear pagers, Playstation memory cards, Playstation and N64 controlers, and 3rd party Playstation cases. Who will Apple sue next???
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Jobs is a whiney child. (Score:1)
    by Todd Stewart on Friday August 20, @05:17AM (#1735892)
    (User #63317 Info)
    Whoa, good one.! You really got me with that one.

    AC == Anonymous Coward(you)
    [ Parent ]
    And thus we are lead to find a new aproach... (Score:1)
    by Coventry on Friday August 20, @05:17AM (#1735893)
    (User #3779 Info)
    When the road gets rocky, when you see things being done wrong - in your workplace, in buisness, etc, there are 4 things you can do about it:
    1) accept it
    2) complain about it
    3) reject it (leave, have nothing to do with it),
    possibly find someplace else where things are done right.
    4) fix it

    The author doesnt do number 1, as many game developers have. He instead does 2 and 3.

    I'm doing number 4... several other developers and I, with great creative talent, etc, are founding our own game company. No CEO. No managers, ecept ourselves. We have artists, modlers, programmers, and more. Getting funding will not be easy because we dont have any non-technical staff, and our buisness model has been called 'crazy', and 'revolutionary' because of our staff structure, but at least we're trying #4...

    T, maybe if things pick up for us we'll give you a call...

    Also, with some open source projects going on now, engine design is being removed from game design...
    For example, our first product is utilizing the CrystalSpace 3d rendering engine, an open source quake/halflife type engine. We're adding things to it, yes, but with foundations like it in place, it will be easier to reuse tools just like producers and other industries do...

    Also, while I'm here, anyone in the audience know where some Free, or cheap, marketing analysis type stuff for the game industry exists? The buis plan we have needs more concrete numbers, and we dont want to pay 4k for a basic industry report...
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Baseless and stoopid..... (Score:1)
    by tak amalak (takamalak@yahoo.delete.com) on Friday August 20, @05:18AM (#1735894)
    (User #55584 Info | http://www.angelfire.com/mac/outsider/home.html)
    Um, Compaq had a machine that intergrated the monitor and computer way back in 1984? Wow, maybe they should sue...
    [ Parent ]
    Re:a reasonable hatred for apple (Score:1)
    by fledgling on Friday August 20, @05:19AM (#1735896)
    (User #79461 Info)
    I, me, mine!

    So you think that your experience is representative of all mac users and all Apple products and therefore justifies your "hatred" ?

    Am I too assume then that all PC/*nix users are small minded sychophants like yourself?
    [ Parent ]
    Re:try display doctor (Score:1)
    by stevew on Friday August 20, @05:20AM (#1735899)
    (User #4845 Info)
    Been there, tried that.

    Didn't find Display Dr any more
    capable than XF86Setup! In fact
    it looks more like a rip-off
    of XF86Setup (speaking of rip-offs.. ;-)

    As for the "tulip" chip - yes - I figured
    that out. Haven't had time to dig into
    the driver to see if I could make it
    work yet. More interested in seeing
    X work I guess.

    Oh - and as for Linux support from
    E machines. I just asked them about
    which video timings were correct in
    their manual(they have two different
    sets which conflict slightly). I got
    a kiss-off you wouldn't believe..well
    maybe the linux community WOULD believe
    it.. I thought we were suppossed to
    be "up and coming." Emachines hasn't
    figured that out yet!

    Steve
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Consider the motivation... (Score:1)
    by Darchmare (jeff@velocinews.com) on Friday August 20, @10:40AM (#1735903)
    (User #5387 Info | http://www.vxreality.org/)
    ---
    I think Apple is cheesed off because the eMachine box costs $400 less, and has the added benefit of being a PC-compatible.
    ---

    Benefit?

    ---
    If you can't beat them, sue them...
    ---

    Or steal from them, apparently

    - Darchmare
    - Axis Mutatis, http://www.axismutatis.net
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Connectix VirtualPC (Score:1)
    by Darchmare (jeff@velocinews.com) on Friday August 20, @10:43AM (#1735904)
    (User #5387 Info | http://www.vxreality.org/)
    I've run Win95, Win98, WinNT 4.0, DOS, and OpenStep on VirtualPC. I got part-way through a BeOS R3 install at one point, but the install didn't recognize the CD-ROM (although with R3, it probably wouldn't have worked on a decent share of PCs either). I started on an old Red Hat install but never got it to work, but others have.

    VirtualPC is very flexible, although I'd rather run LinuxPPC and BeOS/PPC personally.

    - Darchmare
    - Axis Mutatis, http://www.axismutatis.net
    [ Parent ]
    Re:What is Apple afraid of? (Score:1)
    by DJ Raz (raz@wfnk.com) on Friday August 20, @10:47AM (#1735907)
    (User #79864 Info | http://wfnk.com)
    So, Apple still can't make a computer that is a good home computer so they sue the fist set of PC's that even remotely look like the failed iMac.

    This comment takes the cake for the single most ignorant line on Slashdot today. The iMac is not only the biggest selling mac of all time, it is the best selling personal computer OF ALL TIME! If that is a failure what is a success?

    Note for those wanting details: the sales figures are gotten by combining the 5 colors of iMac into one model. Some have a problem with this, wanting to count them as 5 seperate models. I say then that each and every PC with a different spec sheet should be counted as a separate model.

    ------------
    DJ Raz
    raz@wfnk.com
    [ Parent ]
    Conflicting statements? (Score:1)
    by Coretti ((lambda (x) x x) (lambda (x) x x)) on Friday August 20, @05:22AM (#1735910)
    (User #17558 Info)
    I don't think I am a Mac hater. I am just incredibly frustrated with a company that had one of the most loyal group of users ever and proceeded, again and again, to push that loyalty to the absolute limit.

    If customer loyalty had a direct effect on profits, Apple would have gone out of business long ago.

    I'm confused. They had one of the most loyal groups of users, yet if profits and loyalty were directly related, they would've gone out of business years ago?

    [ Parent ]
    Re:Apple Closed Out... (Score:1)
    by Mad Browser on Friday August 20, @05:23AM (#1735911)
    (User #11442 Info | http://www.guerrillabroadcasting.com/)
    Definately... OS X is not sucking... The latest internal Apple builds look quite promising...
    [ Parent ]
    Re:What Part of "Theft" Don't You Understand? (Score:1)
    by tak amalak (takamalak@yahoo.delete.com) on Friday August 20, @05:24AM (#1735913)
    (User #55584 Info | http://www.angelfire.com/mac/outsider/home.html)
    Don't bother explaining. People in this thread are too misguided by hate (and stupid I might add) to understand the real reason for the suit. It's funny really.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Typical Apple (Score:1)
    by tak amalak (takamalak@yahoo.delete.com) on Friday August 20, @05:29AM (#1735916)
    (User #55584 Info | http://www.angelfire.com/mac/outsider/home.html)
    Hey, Apple, your computers run on electricity, but PCs ran on electricity first - better watch out or IBM will sue you!

    If thats not the most idiotic analogy, I dont know what is. Err Apple made PC's before IBM ever started. 1977
    Wait, I'm Thomas Jeffersons great, great, great, great, great, grandson....maybe I should sue IBM and Apple and Dell and Compaq..... sounds silly huh?
    [ Parent ]
    This is no different... (Score:1)
    by SvnLyrBrto (SvnLyrBrto@micro$oft.yahoo.com) on Friday August 20, @05:32AM (#1735917)
    (User #62138 Info)
    ... than the time Coca Cola sued to protect the distinctive shape of the Coca Cola bottle. The legal term is "trade dress".

    Apple is perfectly justified in protecting its trademarks. In fact, they are obligated to do so. They can't pick and choose which iMac rip-offs to sue and which to leave alone. The fact that they would let one company rip them off becomes a defense for the company they DO sue.

    The fact is that Apple put a lot of money into the industrial design of the iMac. And, regardless of weather or not it's popular with /.ers, it is a hot selling item among the unwashed masses. And just like an author who writes a popular book, or a programmer with popular software, Apple deserves to reap the fruits of its labors. And copyright and trademark laws are there to keep people (and companies) from being ripped off.

    Personally, I hope eMachine, Daewoo, and that other iMac knock-off all BURN.
    [ Parent ]
    It's Their Obligation (Score:1)
    by Matty_ (matt@fear.net) on Friday August 20, @05:32AM (#1735918)
    (User #74368 Info | http://www.netmonkey.net/)
    I believe it's Apple's obligation to sue eMachines. The eOne looks like an iMac, but it's not an exact rip off. No one can say that -- not even Apple.

    But, it's a loose-loose situation really for Apple. They have to protect their intellectual property and sometimes they look bad for doing it. They look even dumber when they don't do anything about it.

    It's all about money. If they can get a few million from eMachines, then that's fine with me. That's probably what it'll come down to anyway.
    [ Parent ]
    Too much negativity about Apple (Score:1)
    by Hrothgar The Great on Friday August 20, @05:32AM (#1735919)
    (User #36761 Info | http://stickie-chan.hypermart.net/)
    Let me just ask you this: if you wrote a book, and it took you years to write it, and you were very proud of that book, and it even got on the national bestseller list, and then someone else two weeks later wrote the EXACT same book, with a few words changed, would you be pissed? This is basically what has happened with the eOne. I've seen the pictures; everyone knows it's purposefully an iMac rip-off. That's the whole point. eMachines went with a sure-fire design, one that's already been market tested. Whether you like it or not, the iMac was the top selling computer last year. I think Apple is perfectly within their rights on this one. Those unoriginal corporate nobodies at eMachines are going to get what's coming to them.
    [ Parent ]
    Computers are only for smart people? (Score:2)
    by DHartung (dan [at] dhartung.com) on Friday August 20, @11:40AM (#1735923)
    (User #13689 Info | http://www.lakefx.nu/)
    Just a question. Is everybody's mother supposed to be a network engineer?
    [ Parent ]
    Let's be honest (Score:1)
    by PenguinX (brian@landsberger.com) on Friday August 20, @11:41AM (#1735924)
    (User #18932 Info | http://landsberger.com/)
    Come on guys, let's be honest. The iMac is a wonderful design - it has charm that no PC has ever had - not to mention that the stock price of Apple has risen to the highest it has been in years because of the huge amount of people who have bought an iMac over the past year (about 2 million or so). This is great for Apple as a company - and I like to see a little difference out there. There are so many reasons why PC mfgrs would want to copy this design - profit! Not to mention that most people in the PC market want to get the hell rid of Apple and especially now because they have started to take a bite out of PC sales again.

    As far as I am concerned I give them props screw the companies who try to threaten their survival, no matter how ridiculous it may sound.
    [ Parent ]
    Re:Look and Feel? (Score:1)
    by Uart (ewartNO@SPAMoptonline.net) on Friday August 20, @12:01PM (#1735925)
    (User #29577 Info | http://www.apple.com/)
    It worked for Apple Vs. Digital Research Incorporated. They forced DRI to take all of the good features out of PC-GEM. Part of the reason that GEM was a failure.
    [ Parent ]
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