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05.17.10

Bad Apple, Part I: Is Apple Trademark-Bullying Linux Competition, Again?

Posted in Apple, GNU/Linux, Intellectual Monopoly, Patents, SUN at 4:00 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Did Apple Bully the Linux-based WePad Over ‘IP’?

Summary: WePad mysteriously renamed “WeTab” and reasonable speculation grows that Apple had something to do with it

AS PEOPLE MAY recall, Apple’s hypePad was a case of trademark violation that Apple eventually sorted out. While we cannot confirm that Apple has pressured the Linux-powered WePad to change its name (WePad is about us the customers, whereas hypePad is about “I”, Apple that is, due to restrictions abundance), it seems like a defensible guess.

“Jobs also tried to extort Sun over a project it made available to GNU/Linux.”For quite some time Apple has been bullying companies over the use of the “i”. Another example in Australia appeared last year, so despite Apple firing warning shots, some companies still try it and Apple hunts them down. iHate Apple? Sue me, Apple. iInsist.

Anyway, if it can be proven that WePad changed its name to WeTab only after Apple had contacted the company and made veiled threats, then Apple is going way too far. In Wikipedia, “wePad” already redirects to “WeTab”. Who owns “Pad” now? Could Apple have had a role in the following:

1. WePad changes name to WeTab

Then I found this. They’ve changed the name from WePad to WeTab. Speculation is that they are pre-emptively avoiding entanglements with a certain company that seems a bit more eager to sue competition.

2. WePad name change precedes iPad’s Europe invasion

In a statement, the German company said the name change was to “clearly differentiate our products within the international market for tablet computers.” A WeTab representative declined to comment on whether Apple influenced the name change.

3. Neofonie renames the WePad to WeTab

Did they recieve a phone call from Steve Jobs? It’s not ideal to rename a product AFTER presenting it to the public, but I think they know for sure why they renamed it…

In a later part of this series we will show that Steve Jobs does make threatening phone calls. Jobs also tried to extort Sun over a project it made available to GNU/Linux. What an aggressive guy. For someone who was rescued by an organ donation, he sure could use some morals and ethics because he is suing Linux for no good reason. But anyway, that’s the subject of the next part. █

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