Apple trademark issue :-(

[photobiker]

Hi folks,

Shortly after the iPhone was released, I wrote a little search page that made it more convenient to access different search engines and I called it "iPhone Quick Search". I took the http://iphonequicksearch.com domain name, redirected it to my personal website at http://iphonequicksearch.photobiker.com, and published the link in a post here on the MacRumors forums.

3 months passed by. Today, I received an email from an Allison Vanderby apparently working at Apple. She doesn't introduce herself, I don't whether she's legit, but her email has an Apple domain name and she writes: "We've noticed that you've used iPhone in your product's name and/or marketing materials", followed by a long list of stuff about what one can or cannot do with Apple trademarks. She doesn't ask me to take any action in particular: "We want to remind you of the importance of following Apple's posted Guidelines," that's it.

Now the weird thing is that my little "iPhone Quick Search" page isn't advertised anywhere else than on this forum. I find it hard to believe that some Apple lawyers prowl through MacRumors posts and take umbrage whenever an URL has a domain name that contains the word "iPhone". Getting paid $300/hour to read MacRumors isn't the worst thing they could do on Earth. Heck, I would do it if I could! Or maybe they surf the web all day on their iPhones and somehow one of them ran into my page - who knows with lawyers?

In the meanwhile, I don't underestimate the potential harmful effects of not heeding to their polite suggestions. I renamed the page "A Quick Search for iPhone" and I'm asking all of you to please help me protect Apple trademarks. It's very important for them and they probably have a lot of work on their plate. So many URLs, so little time... Let's leverage the incredible goodwill of our community by creating the equivalent of a gigantic open-source project applied to trademark law. Imagine how much more efficient Allison would be in her work if all of us, Apple supporters, reported to her directly by email at <vanderby@apple.com> any URL we run into that contains the word "iPhone". Wouldn't it be great? I love you all!

And please please please, from now on stop using http://iphonequicksearch.com and bookmark instead http://iphonequicksearch.photobiker.com

Pierre

 

[JNB]

I appreciate your frustration. Try to remember that Apple (or any other trademark holder) doesn't have it out for you personally, but if they don't aggressively protect their trademarks, then they have no protection down the road, meaning that have to pursue any potential infringement, no matter how small or harmless it appears to be.


Actually, their response to you seemed to be a substantial softening from the stance they are usually portrayed as having (more Disneyesque in nature), in that you were not given a C & D, or even a warning, but just (at least by your description), a fairly gentle reminder.

Regardless, it's nice to see you're still up, and your site is now added to my iPhone™ ()!

 

[arn]

I think this is very interesting. Apple has taken a hard stance on commercial iPod sites. And it was clear they would do the same for iPhone.

arn

 

[phungy]

Hi Arn!

On-topic: Just bookmarked your site

 

[mpuck972]

Of course they are paying lawyers $300/hour to read posts here. What else do you think they would do with their money? God forbid they spend it on developing applications to add to the phone.

 

[ellsworth]

First off. Great site. I bookmarked it for future use.
Secondly, I don't know too much about trademarks and laws stuff but I don't see any marketing tactics or "Click this ad" links on you page. For all apple cares, you could just be an informative website. You have the right to inform any populations which information that is usable and significant. Again, I could be wrong about all of this....
I wonder how many times Wikipedia got an email from that apple rep: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphone

Maybe if you put a quick review about the phone you'll be alright because technically, you're reviewing a consumer product and can trash it or praise it to your liking....