Switzerland's national rail company has today accused Apple of stealing the iconic look of its station clocks for the iPhone.

Apple, usually the ones suing others for copyright or trademark infringement, is accused by the Swiss Federal Railways of copying the rail company's iconic 1944 clock design - right down to the second-hand ending in a circle

The iconic design, which was created by acclaimed designer Hans Hilfiker, was licensed from the train company - known as SBB - by watchmaker Mondaine, helping spread the brand across the globe.



A spokesman for SBB said the Apple design was 'identical' to the one pioneered by the rail company in 1944.




Reto Kormann confirmed that Apple had not asked for permission before doing using the design.

He said: 'We've approached Apple and told them that the rights for this clock belong to us.'


Up close: Mondaine's designs are known world-wide

Although he did add: 'We are proud that this icon of clock design is being used by a globally successful company.'

Kormann said SBB would seek an 'amicable agreement' with Apple that could see the clock design used in return for a license fee.


Apple's public relations offices in Germany and Switzerland didn't respond to repeated calls and emails requesting comment.


Technology fans have noted before how many of Apple's iconic designs are based on Braun products from the 1950s.

Meanwhile Apple has itself launched several patent and design rights claims against rival companies in the past - with its complaints including competitors copying the iPhone's rounded corner designs.


Last month it won a $1.05 billion judgment against Samsung Electronics in a U.S. patent case.

Daily Mail.

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Meanwhile Apple has itself launched several patent and design rights claims against rival companies in the past - with its complaints including competitors copying the iPhone's rounded corner designs.


How the fuck can any one get away with a patent for rounded corners? Most things in my house have rounded corners. Excepting my cigarette packet. Does that mean that every time that I do anything (excepting for having a smoke, ) I have to pay Apple a royalty?

Not only that Mik, you should pay them retro-actively for all the times you've infringed on their IP in the past.

And you should be ashamed of yourself for stealing.

The patent office needs their asses kicked up around their shoulders. Years ago, Apple lost a lawsuit against Microsoft for the Mac v Windows dispute, and oddly enough, Apple also lost a case against Xerox for stealing GUI designs from a Xerox desktop system.

ibigmang wrote:

Not only that Mik, you should pay them retro-actively for all the times you've infringed on their IP in the past.

And you should be ashamed of yourself for stealing.

I'm deeply ashamed. And I will pay them back. Fortunately I have a solution. I have a patent on having a crap. So every time that an Apple product owner takes a dump they they have to pay me a royalty. As Apple product owners are full of shit, I ought to make a fortune.

Fuck Switzerland. Bunch of hillbillies whose technology consists of cuckoo clocks, instant cocoa, and chocolate bars and whose wealth is mostly based on interest from Nazi gold deposits from the 1940s.

We should nuke a couple of their cities(if they have any cities) just to remind them who run Barter Town.

Apple Pippin.

I hope Steve Jobs rogers Pippin's ass the minute he gets to hell.

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VAVD wrote:

Fuck Switzerland. Bunch of hillbillies whose technology consists of cuckoo clocks, instant cocoa, and chocolate bars and whose wealth is mostly based on interest from Nazi gold deposits from the 1940s.

We should nuke a couple of their cities(if they have any cities) just to remind them who run Barter Town.

I accidently spilled Coke all over my IBM when I read that.