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Apple sends developer legal threat

updated 10:55 am EST, Thu March 9, 2006

Apple legal at it again

Apple's legal team has contacted the developer of Front Row Enabler and Mail Stamps, Andrew Escobar, claiming that he violated Apple's intellectual property rights. "Your use of Apple's trademarks and copyrighted materials violates Apple's intellectual property rights, which Apple has an affirmative obligation to protect. Apple therefore must insist that you cease use of Apple's trademarks and copyrighted images and that you stop offering the unauthorized downloads of Apple's Front Row software." Front Row Enabler allowed users to install Apple's Front Row software on Macs running Mac OS X 10.4.5 and later, while Mail Stamps allows use of full-size Panther-style toolbar items in Apple's Mail application. Escobar is complying with Apple's demands, both because he supports Apple's right to defend its intellectual property and because he doesn't want the situation to escalate further.

 
Previous Comments

Dumb dumb dumb...

03/09, 12:00pm reply

...offering "downloads of Apple's Front Row software."

shawnce

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2000

0

Dumb...

03/09, 01:12pm reply

For Apple. They need to stop enforcing silly IP claims and start allowing people to buy Front Row, and also to fix the Tiger Mail because it sucks compared to Panthers. I run CageFighter to restore the Panther toolbar look, and Disunity to get rid of that stupid Unified toolbar look.

apple4ever

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2001

0

Not dumb.

03/09, 01:28pm reply

Apple *must* defend intellectual property, or they lose the right to it. Plain and simple. If you don't defend, for example, a trademark, you lose the trademark.

godrifle

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2006

0

BFD

03/09, 02:31pm reply

Anybody can download the FrontRow installer from Apple's own web site and install it on an unsupported machine using readily available tools. He just made the process easier. The moral of the story is, whenever you do something you KNOW is bound to piss Apple off, just have the stuff hosted in India or China and watch Apple Legal squirm like the b****** they are.

LordJohnWhorfin

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2002

0

Actually....

03/09, 03:30pm reply

He provided a patch that prevent Front Row from checking for the presence of the remote control infrared port. He also patches the installer app so it will install on any Mac. That's what Apple is kind of mad about. Enabler 1.2.1 does make it extremely easy to install Front Row (which is a really cool piece of software...). Glad I grabbed my copy 2 weeks ago....

pastusza

Forum Regular

Joined: Nov 1999

0

apple's right

03/09, 05:02pm reply

apple's right on this one, but it won't hurt front row enabler, which is a cool patch. it was silly to allow apple downloads on his site anyway. no biggie, imo.

kugino

Junior Member

Joined: Jun 2003

0

bfd

03/09, 05:10pm reply

Front Row is overblown and overbloated software that fills a hole that didn't filling. Oooh, I can play Music AND movies. "Wow! Think of it. Its like having DVD Player and iTunes on one computer!"

testudo

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

whew!

03/09, 05:48pm reply

Glad I downloaded it already.

testudo, I thought the same thing before trying it. Front Row is sweet!

GORDYmac

Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Dec 1999

0

nothing wrong...

03/09, 07:09pm reply

IANA, but nowhere did apple say that he "reverse engineered" anything, just that he's using Apple's Trademarks and allowing downloads of their copyrighted material.

He should Take the phrase "Front Row" out of "Front Row Enabler" and make sure that you can't download Front Row from his website. I doubt the enabler itself was the problem.

udecker

Junior Member

Joined: Sep 2000

0

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