

An open letter [from Julian Gough] to Johnathan Ive (and Apple) - edoloughlin
http://www.juliangough.com/journal/2012/7/7/an-open-letter-to-jonathan-ive-and-apple.html

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Tichy
Just change the name, it's not a big deal.

The nerve of some people? Writing an open letter because they want to
piggyback on somebody else's good name, and claim it is in the name of
universal design principles (not money?).

~~~
quesera
It's not simple nerve, it's marketing. No one asked for the name change.
You're permitted to use the names of real brands and famous people if your
story is unambiguously fictitious (see: Mad Men).

This open letter is just promo for himself and his writing. Perhaps it was
planned all along. It might even be why he wrote the thing the way he did in
the first place.

I'm sure he'd be delighted to receive a friendly letter from Apple or Ive
requesting that he please not behave in such a way. O, the drama. O, the
pageviews!

It's cynical and a bit repellent, but marketing is often like that when you
look closely enough. I try not to judge.

However: anything named "iHole" should be taken out and shot. I don't care
what it is.

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JulianGough
Quesera; "No one asked for the name change." Not true, I'm afraid. The lawyers
for the media organisation that want to use the story asked me to change the
name of both Apple and Jonathan Ive. I've been in discussion with them,
through my agent and the editor involved, for the past couple of weeks; my
agent has been trying to get through to Apple's senior legal people, with no
success; and it's only after that process was exhausted and we only had a few
days left before the publishing deadline for final version of the story that I
wrote the open letter.

Tichy: "...and claim it is in the name of universal design principles (not
money?)." As I explain in the post, going public with this could cost me the
already agreed publication, and the associated fee.

I'm very fond of Apple, and as I make clear, they have done nothing wrong, and
have raised no objection. The problem is with an overcautious European law
culture; and I believe this incident it raises wider cultural issues. Also I
like my story as it is, and I don't want lawyers to force a rewrite.

~~~
maxharris
If you tried to use my name or company in a story like that, I'd be pretty
ticked off. You can like your story all you want, but that doesn't give you
the moral right to piggyback off of someone else's fame.

Be first-handed. If you really have great ideas, you won't need to resort to
tricks like this to get attention.

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adventureful
Clearly the Banana iHole is the superior name to go with.

Maybe call it a Banana Macinhole instead.

