Apple’s sharp-shooting legal swat team has put the frighteners on a firm selling an action figure doll of its CEO Steve Jobs.
Just as the company was announcing a new batch of Steve Jobs dolls following the fast sell-out of the first 300.
M.I.C Gadget, the maker of the SJ action figure, received an email from a law firm representing Apple Inc, informing it that the Cupertino giant did “not consent to the use of Apple’s copyrights and trademarks” and requested the company immediately cease the marketing and sale of this figure.
The Apple letter stated: “Unauthorised use of a person’s name and/or likeness constitutes a violation of California Civil Code Section 3344, which prohibits the use of any person’s name, photograph or likeness in a product without that person’s prior consent.”
M.I.C. sent out a message to “all Apple fanboys”: “You are not going to get this phenomenal figure any more. M.I.C gadget hereby apologises to Steve Jobs, Apple Inc, and their law firm for any inconvenience caused.”
It also requested that anyone who had already ordered the Steve Jobs doll should contact the company.
Cheekily, M.I.C. added a P.S.:
“Steve, can we apply for some trademark licence to produce this phenomenal figure for all your Apple fans? A wild thought, maybe Apple can bundle this figure with an iPhone 4 purchase”
M.I.C. described the Steve Jobs figure as “a little bit creepy, but still cool”.
Jobs was dressed in classic black turtleneck and Levi’s 502 jeans, with New Balance sneakers.
Jobs is holding an iPhone 4 in his right hand, but in such a way as to not give it the grip of death.
The doll came with three speech bubble cards for the owner to write their favourite Steve Jobs quotes on.
