Remember when Apple wanted people to “Think different?” Yeah well, in case you didn’t know, it’s all lip service. In yet another instance of Apple being very protective of how people use its products, one guy decided to use an Apple product to think differently, and Apple just didn’t like it:
EBay removed a modified U2 iPod from its auctions Monday after Apple Computer complained of copyright violations, to the wonder of several intellectual-property attorneys.
Francis Hwang, an artist and director of technology at Rhizome.org, purchased a U2 iPod and loaded it up with seven albums from Negativland, a collage band that mixes original music with audiovisual clips from other artists and corporations. Hwang wanted to make an artistic statement about sampling and free culture, and planned to donate the proceeds of the sale to Downhill Battle, a music-activism group.
Here’s a question for ya: Whose copyrighted work did Hwang actually infringe upon? Negativland surely didn’t seem to be in a huff over it, and U2’s single was gone from the auctioned iPod. So why is Apple complaining?
And what if I buy a Special Edition U2 iPod, and decide that I don’t like U2’s new album (which I don’t) and thus remove the album and replace it with my own music? Would that anger Apple?