Swissinfo EN

Swiss Federal Railways has accused Apple of stealing the design of its iconic clock. The clock icon that appears on the new iPad operating system looks just like the timepieces that grace Swiss train stations. The rail company is now seeking financial compensation.

Apple’s new mobile operating system iOS6 was introduced early on Thursday morning. The Swiss station clock now appears on the iPad to represent its first internal timekeeper, which can also serve as an alarm clock.

The Swiss branch of Apple was unable to comment on the issue. The Swiss railway clock was created in 1944 by Swiss electrical engineer and designer Hans Hilfiker.

EDIT: Added the clock from Deutsche Bahn DB as well ( looks similiar but in a blue shell ).

Apple need to understand that if they go running around suiing everyone in sight that this doesnt entitle them to then copy others and not expect a comeback at them!

Hopefully the Swiss win this one!

Does it really matter?

By the way, is it the one which is round, has 12 black divisions on a white background and 3 black hands ..... if so, it sounds like my clock - and I'd be pretty annoyed too.

It probably didnt matter until Apple started it against Samsung for making a phone in a rectangle shape with a round corner. why did Apple do this? because Samsung are a real threat and they probably will make a much better product.

So the answer to the clock question is, it didnt matter until Apple started the trend, so they asked for this one!

I agree .... but a clock is a clock is a clock .... the design (and it's many variants) are already well established.

Maybe it will lower the fares.... or build some more tunnels.

No. The Swiss clock, with the red second hand, is unique.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ba...Zuerich_RZ.jpg
http://www.swissworld.org/en/switzer...railway_clock/

And in the 1980's didn't Apple "borrow the icons" function from Rank-Xerox laboratories?

If you want to see pictures...

http://gizmodo.com/5945008/apple-tot...s-6-ipad-clock

Nah .... not conclusive - I can clearly see differences.

Next step: Apple will sue SBB and demand it should remove all its clocks in Switzerland...

for sure they copied that
its all over 20min

I always wondered about the clocks at canary wharf in london too....

just google "canary wharf clocks"

This post made me think of this picture...



I also like this picture:



So who copies who?

GO SBB !!! Apple deserves someone coming after them after this pathetic lawsuit they claimed against Samsung infringing there copyrights by also making round corners..!

I just hope SBB has a patent on the watch design..

I saw this yesterday in Blick am Abend, and as I wake up this morning it's all over the tech Blogosphere.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/09...new-clock-app/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09...ss_rail_clock/

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2409984,00.asp

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57...-clock-design/

In my eyes it does indeed appear to be a direct copy. I hope SBB takes Apple cleaners on this.

Not it is not that one, but the one with two black and one red hand, the red one ending in a circle. There are sixty black divisions, every fifth being larger and rectangular and of the same color and thickness as the two black hands. Honestly: it is a pretty distinctive design.

It is pretty obviously an exact copy of a design icon. One company, Mondaine, pays SBB to be allowed to use the same design for wristwatches... so if you use it for a software without the tiniest change do you steal IP, end of. Just as everyone in his right mind would fully agree that Apple was "heavily inspired" by Braun and that there is absolutely zero doubt that the Galaxy S2 was an iPhone knock off.

The question is not if they copy, everyone does somehow. The question is how much they should pay... especially if they "forget" to ask for permission. Looks like Apple of all companies did not really worry about others' IP.

I think the issue here is less to do with whether it's a direct copy, but more to do with the fact that Apple has effectively infringed on a trademark of SBB.

Lets, say for instance, I want to use a graphic apple symbol as part of a product I'll be selling. So I choose to use the Apple logo, but with the bite filled in. It's not a copy at all, but I'd still be infringing on Apples trademark.

The evil apple empire at it again. Don't drink their kool-aid!

Technically is the SBB clock not a trademark like the Apple logo, it is a protected Design: https://www.ige.ch/designs/designs-erste-infos.html

That's different from a patent or trademark in the sense that there is less possibility to protect things... as others pointed out do clocks have a lot of things in common, so you can only protect a very defined set of attributes your design has. I am pretty sure that SBB cannot have the right for ANY watch with a red second hand... otherwise would they sue these guys:


Bottom line is: It would have been easy for Apple to make a cleanly design clock on the iPad that does not happen to infringe the SBB IP.

I haven't seen the pics yet, but if there was really something in it, and I were samsung, I would have bought this from sbb and started filing the injunctions to block iphone sales :P