By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews
Now, I find this to be an awful cute dog toy (coming from someone who owns two dogs and an iPhone 3G). And who am I to deprive my dogs of a state-of-the-art dog toy such as the iBone. However, knowing Apple, it places this company right the their sights, lawsuit-wise.
Now, sometimes these suits are understandable, but sometimes a little over the top, such as in their threat over the GreeNYC campaign’s logo (being run by New York City, natch; logo below).
And their cease-and-desist over the ProfitPod — way over the top, as that devices was a product designed to make it easier for arcades to figure out how many of those tickets that you trade in for those “valuable” prizes have been spit out by a game. It looks nothing like an iPod, doesn’t play music, is rectangular (landscape-wise). Hardly anything that could be confused with an iPod, but Apple still got hot under the collar about it.
At any rate, the iBone above is sold by Haute Diggity Dog. Its $11.95, and I’m not sure if it supports 3G or not.
It’s also unclear if the iBone comes house … or jailbroken, and if it will support add-ons from the Yap Store or not.
Hopefully, Apple will see the humor in this, and give it a pass, “cease-and-desist-wise,” at any rate. You know at $11.95, you just gotta get one for your pampered pooch.
no way would i get this, i can it looks close enough I’m not sure if my dog would chomp down on the wrong one and I’m out $200
Would be a perfect toy for Dino from The Flintsones!
Apple wants to compete with RIAA for bad PR? Besides, the record company for the Beatles had the first trademark on the apple logo.
On a legal bases, both “I” and “Pod” are universal concepts and not eligible for trademark until combined together into Ipod. (or Iphone)
Pod… Everyone should know what an escape pod is and the same concept applies to Ipod but where is the mother ship? The Imac was suppose to be the mother ship for the Ipod! Yet Ipods got popular and people started without Imacs started using them with Itunes! (no need for the mother ship)
So the Iphone might be similar to the Ipod (mp3’s + phone calls) but the original concept of being an Imac accessory was never even considered by Apple this time.
If the chew toy actually said Iphone on it instead of Ibone, then Apple might have a bone to pick with them… Anyway, you how dogs love to chew on stuff? I hate to think how many remote controls have been ruined and if you leave your cell phone laying around with a dog, the same thing will happen! (even if it’s an apple brand or not)
While this is pretty cool, my all-time favorite dog chewy toy is a fake bottle of Jack Daniels. I liked it so much I haven’t let my dog shred it yet. I wish Apple would lighten up a bit and realize all their lawsuits do is annoy people and alienate potential customers.