View this article at: http://dev.macnn.com/articles/07/01/15/apple.protects.iphone.ui
Monday, Jan 15, 2007 3:30pm
Apple moves to protect iPho...
It's been less than a week since the iPhone was announced and the product is not even expected to ship for another six months, but Apple is aggressively protecting its Mac OS X-like interface on the iPhone. A group of users has already developed a skin for Windows mobile that enables users to mimic the iPhone interface, but one website that posted screenshots and links to the hack has already been threatened by Apple and its legal team. IT Pro reports that Apple has "engaged in fighting talk" over screenshots and a link to XDA-developers forum that describes the Windows mobile hack. Apple's law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP has sent Paul O'Brien, founder of MoDaCo, a virtual Windows mobile community, a letter demanding that the website operator remove screen shots showcasing the mimicked interface as well as the link to the offending website.

According to the report, Apple's legal team claimed that O'Brien is violating Apple copyrights and that links the third-party website that "facilitate" the windows mobile hack. O'Brien subsequently removed the screenshots and the link. "We represent Apple Computer, Inc. ('Apple') and are authorized to act on Apple's behalf to investigate and take legal action with respect to the unauthorized dissemination of Apple's copyrighted material. It has come to our attention that you have posted a screenshot of Apple's new iPhone and links that facilitate the installation of that screenshot on a Pocket PC device," Apple wrote in a letter to O'Brien. "While we appreciate your interest in the iPhone, the icons and screenshot displayed on your website are copyrighted by Apple, and copyright law explicitly prohibits unauthorized display and distribution of copyrighted works."