When Apple released iOS 6, it shipped with an all-new design of the clock used in Clock app for iPad. The new design was apparently a rip-off of a design used by Swiss Federal Railways. A report now suggests that Apple paid the agency $21 million to settle the copyrights dispute.
The original design of the clock dates as far back as 1944 and was originally developed by an employee of Swiss Federal Railways. Clocks built on this design are displayed on railway stations all across Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways didn’t really launch any legal case against Apple. Rather, the agency initially insisted that it simply wished that Apple had followed the right procedure in making use of the design.
Apple did reach out to the agency and within a brief span of time, we were told that both entities had reached an amicable agreement which would allow Apple to continue using the design. It has now been claimed in a new report that Apple actually paid a hefty sum to Swiss Federal Railways to shush up the matter.
The actual amount that was paid, the report claims, was $21 million. Both Apple and Swiss Federal Railways have refused to offer any details of their settlement. The case is not entirely resolved, though.
Watchmaker Mondaine already had the license to make consumer-focused watches based on the said design. Before Apple was granted the permission to make use of it, Mondaine was the sole vendor who could use it. Naturally, the fresh contest affects Mondaine’s interests and the vendor is currently in talks with the Federal Railways over the matter. We do hope that if money did exchange hands between Apple and Federal Railways, Mondaine may have to be given a piece of the pie.
Source: Tages Anzeiger
Courtesy: Mac Rumors
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