Cartier sues Apple over watch app
Apple has once again been sued for copyright infringement, this time by the famed Cartier high-end watch manufacturer. But the suit was dropped almost as quickly as it was brought.
It seems like every day brings new problems for Apple over copyright infringement issues or difficulties involving their App Store. Combining those two problems, the Cupertino giant was sued by Cartier, the famous maker of high end watches, over two apps: Fake Watch and Fake Watch Gold Edition, both produced by Digitopolis Game Studio.
The Digitopolis apps present the current iPhone system time on graphically rendered virtual watches, according to a MacNN story. The virtual watches are drawn from many manufacturers, although Cartier is the only one that has complained. One of the Digitopolis watches is the famed Cartier Tank, a watch that Cartier has been making since they copyrighted it 92 years ago.
This case was apparently fairly straightforward. Apple attorneys reviewed the case and recommended that Apple remove the Digitopolis apps from the App Store. Apple apparently agreed and immediately did so. Said removal apparently satisfied Cartier, who has now withdrawn the infringement lawsuit, and the two larger companies appear to be satisfied that all is now well with the world. Jonathan Lagarenne, a lawyer representing Cartier, said “Our concerns have been addressed.â€
Oddly enough, Cartier did not bring suit against Digitopolis, even though they were clearly the producers of the application. Nor is it clear if they have any desire to do so. It may simply be that Cartier’s concern was to insure that the offending apps were removed from the virtual shelves as quickly as possible and that doing so through Apple seemed most expedient.
Society becomes ever more litigious, and as Apple’s revenue continues to grow, so does its exposure to lawsuits of all kinds. The company is obviously having a problem formulating a bulletproof policy for app approval, given recent problems involving shaken babies, Jesus impersonators, and inelegant song lyrics. Now they have to add classes for copyright infringement to the education of those responsible for approving iPhone apps.
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