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.
Dumb dumb dumb...
03/09, 12:00pm reply
...offering "downloads of Apple's Front Row software."
shawnce
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2000
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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