Third grader sends letter to Steve Jobs. Apple's lawyers respond.

[ohiosmith]

Shea O'Gorman is 9 years old and the third grader just learned to write letters and decided to write one to Steve Jobs. Why? Because she loves her iPod Nano and had a few ideas which she though would make the Nano even better. Like if the Nano would support Lyrics she could sing along and stuff.

She wrote a letter and to her surprise a letter arrived from Apple after three months, excited, the whole family sat together to read it. The letter was not from Steve Jobs, it was signed the senior counsel, Apple Law Department and when little Shea read it she was very upset ran up to her room and slammed it. Apple's legal department told her that the company does not accept unsolicited ideas. Apple's legal department told her not send them her suggestions, and if she wants to know why, she could read their legal policy on the Internet.

“We were stunned, we just were stunned, is the best word to say. It just wasn't the appropriate type letter to send to a third grader who had the initiative to write to them, They are a company who tries to promote itself as an educator of children. That was really, it was unacceptable. They know better than that,” said Shea’s mom.

[malta blue]

1. way to promote good feelings....

jeez - it's a letter from a 9 year old kid!

:nuke: :nuke:

[MagickMuffin]

2. How about a link??? n/t

[Dr. Strange]

5. Way to go!

Ohiosmith just ran into his room crying!

[ohiosmith]

6. :

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/3rd_grader_sends_letter_to_steve_jobs_and_apple_in_return_slams_her.php

[MagickMuffin]

11. Once again someone posts a story that is almost TWO YEARS OLD...

Nice Try:spank:

Of course, Apple's policy was instated to protect the company -- and anyone who submits ideas to the company -- from ending up in a costly legal spat if similar ideas are ever adopted into future Apple products. However, you'd think the handwriting of a 9-year-old may have drawn company's lighter side.

Apple reportedly decline to comment on the mishap, but the company's General Counsel placed a personal call to Shea to apologize following a CBS 5 News inquiry.

It was also reported that Apple held a meeting this past Wednesday in which it discussed ways that it could amend its corporate policy when dealing with children.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/06/04/14/apple_calls_meeting_after_making_little_girl_cry.html

Of course I'm sure if you were Steve Jobs you would have done the right thing. Sheesh, you Apple haters are so predicable.

[coffeenap]

3. Just covering their backsides for when they launch her idea. nt

[TommyO]

4. While harsh, the response was exactly what they needed to do

It's the same type of response that unsolicited scripts get, along with any other unsolicited ideas. If Shea's ideas showed up in a future iPod, the family might think that she was the source of the idea and sue for Apple's profits from her idea. There are very clear firewalls between customers and development in these situations.

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. Yup

I got a similar letter once from Selchow and Righter, who market Trivial Pursuit. I'd had an idea for a trivia game and sent it to them.

Too bad; it was a good idea.

[TommyO]

9. My claim to fame is an (admittedly bad) Star Trek: TNG script

I got the same type of blow-off and understand why. I never saw a concept similar to mine on any of the Trek series, I guess it was truly bad.

[ghostsofgiants]

13. That's fair, but at the same time they could have worded it in a way that wasn't cold and impersonal

And that would have explained to her that even though they can't take her suggestion, she shouldn't give up on creative thinking and such. This is a kid we''re talking about here, after all.

[Deja Q]

20. Maybe that's why Steve owns some of Bill's stock and why Bill owns some of Steve's.

:evilgrin:

[Mojambo]

24. Typical corporate callousness

Apple's no different than any other soulless corporation, no matter how "hip" they make their commercials.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. It's the only way they can use her idea without paying her royalties or a fee.

(and yes, I realize that they really do need to send such letters, so that if - just by accident - a company comes up with an idea that the someone else came up, the someone else can't sue. Of course, some companies have legitimate accidental duplication of ideas; some have "accidental" ones).

[Little Star]

10. Nice going Apple! Their true color might not be white. n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

12. That's pretty old news.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

14. I don't know of a company that wouldn't do this...

Years ago I read "The Lazlo Letters" by Don Novello. Inspired by his example of writing snarky letters to politicians and corporations, I wrote some myself. In every instance when I would make a wiseacre suggestion to a corporation for a new prodect -- like my suggestion to Bic that for safety's sake, their lighters should have fuel that isn't flammable -- I would get a form letter explaining how I should go about filing a patent and then the proper way to approach the company with my new idea. It makes sense, really, because every one of those letters is a potential patent infringement lawsuit waiting to happen.

[TommyO]

15. I did a bit of digging, this incident happened over 18 months ago

Not only that, Apple's General Counsel placed a call to Shea to apologize.

[ohiosmith]

16. Guess I missed it the first time around.

:shrug:

[Deja Q]

19. And? Hitler slaughtered 6 million people 60 years ago. And 230 years ago,

the US would have lost the Revolutionary war if it wasn't for France having their own row against England...


Some people don't know all that happened either.

[Dukkha]

17. I get the feeling the White House has the same policy

[Deja Q]

18. Don't forget, that is the same man who threw a tantrum over teachers...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=steve+jobs+teachers&btnG=Google+Search
(the truth is, he soiled his diapers when people stopped buying overpriced Intel PCs...)

The double truth is, Apple's computers have always had a philosophy of "Do it our way or no way". Complete with one mouse button in tandem with pressing down one or two other keys... It's ironic that, for once, Microsoft offers more expandability (for most, Linux is the winner...)

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Mr. Blonde]

21. I'm sure you are aware

that for almost as old as this article is Apple computers have shipped with a mouse with up to four buttons.

And they have supported multi-buttoned mice since the 90's.

I don't really think Linux is the answer for most although it could be that way at some point in the future. Ironically it will take support from Apple and MS for that to happen. Like native versions of Windows Media Player and Quicktime.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

25. Don't start the Apple V PC

thing AGAIN... It gets so fucking old.

You will never change an
Apple user. It doesn't happen. You will however get in a seriously stupid pissing match that no one ever wins.

[regnaD kciN]

22. I can think of an "unsolicited suggestion" I'd like to send them...

...and it would also involve something they could do with their iPod Nanos! :evilgrin:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

23. Oh that's great for the image

nice way to go.

WTF is wrong with them?

I can hardly wait for the response from Steve Jobs or is dumb-assed suits.