Only
hours after Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs annouced that Apple would be
opening 25 retail stores across the country this year, Gateway Inc., filed
a suit in a federal court, accusing Apple of violating its intellectual
property rights.
"We
were the first computer manufacturer to open our own line of retail stores,"
said Gateway Chairman and CEO Ted Waitt. "We plan on protecting that
innovation to the fullest extent of the law."
This is not the first time that Gateway has used "intellectual property" as a reason to file suit against Apple.
When Apple first introduced its newest iMac colors - Flower Power and Blue Dalmation - there was a third model that was supposed to be released - Moo Moo Cow. A design that Gateway said infringed on its patent of "having black cow spots superimposed onto a computer product."
"We have cow spots on our boxes," said Bart Brown, senior vice president, Gateway Consumer. "The Moo Moo Cow iMac was obviously an attempt by Apple to trick consumers into buying an iMac when they were really looking for a Gateway."
At
the last minute, Apple decided not to release the Moo Moo Cow iMac.
This brought cries of outrage from cows around the world, claiming that the rights to "cow spots" belong to them, not Gateway.
"We
fully supported Apple's Moo Moo Cow iMac," said Mooshi McRawride,
Supreme Chancelor of Cows. "Apple came to us and actually asked if
it was okay if they used our spots on the new iMac. We said it would be
an honor. Gateway never even asked about using our spots on their boxes.
They thought that since they were from Iowa they could just use them without
asking. We wanted to sue, but cows can't get lawyers."
Apple had no comment about the Moo Moo Cow iMac, but said they planned to go ahead with opening up their first two stores this Saturday. Jobs didn't even think the lawsuit was real.
"Is this a joke?" asked Jobs. "I mean, geez, I'd expect something like this from Dell, but Gateway? I know they make PCs, but are they really THAT DUMB?"
When asked if he was really "that dumb", Waitt had no comment.
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