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Apple letter breaks little girl's heart
MacNN ^ | 04/17/2006

Posted on 04/17/2006 7:13:16 AM PDT by Panerai

Apple's corporate policy for dealing with unsolicited ideas may be changing. The company held a special meeting to discuss ways to improve its cold-hearted, boiler-plate response to any unsolicited improvements or suggestions submitted to the company, after it found out that it shattered a nine-year girl's heart. According to CBS 5 News, 9-year-old Shea O'Gorman wrote to Apple CEO Steve Jobs as her class was learning about writing business and formal letters. The third-grader wrote Jobs to offer suggestions on improving her iPod nano, such as adding song lyrics so listeners can sing along to their tunes. Although it took three months, the company finally responded to her letter--although it was not what O'Gorman and her family were expecting. Instead of a polite response from Jobs, the girl received a cold, stern letter from Apple's legal counsel telling her that the company didn't accept unsolicited ideas and that she should not send any suggestions to the company.

Apple's full legal policy, designed to protect itself from protracted legal battles about royalties and licensing from submitted ideas, was available online, according to the letter received and read by both O'Gorman and her family.

"She was very upset, and kinda threw the letter up in the air and ran in her room and slammed her door," the girl's mother told CBS 5 News.

Although Apple declined to comment on the story, a company representative reportedly called the girl to offer an apology (following an inquiry by CBS 5 News); in addition, the report says that Apple held a special meeting last week to discuss ways in which it could improve its corporate policy when dealing with children.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: apple; customerservice; dontbesocallous; ipod; ipodnano
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To: Panerai

Not the worst idea in the world. Perhaps Apple could install that function on the iPod and give a large " creators fee" the little girl


21 posted on 04/17/2006 7:21:12 AM PDT by The Louiswu (The coward will not fight, the fool refuses to see necessity the scoundrel puts himself ahead of all)
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: ClearCase_guy

--in the Las Vegas area the teachers have the brats propose signs and other means to warn people of ten thousand years from now of the "dangers" of the Yucca Mountain nuke storage facility--


23 posted on 04/17/2006 7:24:00 AM PDT by rellimpank (Don't believe anything about firearms or explosives stated by the mass media---NRABenefactor)
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To: dinoparty
>Still, the P.R. person could have seen this letter as an opportunity instead of a threat

Back in the old days,
when my third analog board
fried inside my Mac,

I sent a letter
suggesting they make machines
that do not burn up.

They didn't send me
anything in reply . . . But
that's the business world . . .

24 posted on 04/17/2006 7:24:54 AM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: Panerai

Another opportunity to blame Bush for something!


25 posted on 04/17/2006 7:25:23 AM PDT by olezip
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To: Panerai
Instead of a polite response from Jobs, the girl received a cold, stern letter from Apple's legal counsel telling her that the company didn't accept unsolicited ideas and that she should not send any suggestions to the company.

LOL. Awesome.

26 posted on 04/17/2006 7:26:12 AM PDT by M203M4
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To: Panerai

Steve Jobs... yet another 'caring' liberal.


27 posted on 04/17/2006 7:26:33 AM PDT by fhlh (Polls are for Strippers.)
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To: rellimpank
only AFTER Apple adds a song lyrics feature to the ipod....
28 posted on 04/17/2006 7:26:52 AM PDT by stylin19a (I never put my foot in my mouth...I shoot that sucker off long before it gets anywhere near my mouth)
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To: Panerai

I wonder how Bill Gates would have reacted to such a letter? Probably the same way would be my guess.


29 posted on 04/17/2006 7:27:17 AM PDT by teletech (Friends don't let friends vote DemocRAT)
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: Panerai

"Think Different"


31 posted on 04/17/2006 7:27:35 AM PDT by Psycho_Bunny (The MSM is a hate group and we are the object of their disdain.)
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To: r9etb
The girl had a good idea, btw....

Great idea...she should file a patent before Apple does, LOL.

32 posted on 04/17/2006 7:28:34 AM PDT by dawn53
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To: Panerai
Although it was a tough way to tell this to a nine-year old, this is a reasonable policy for the company. What if Apple had already been working on a version of the iPod which displays lyrics also. Would this girl or her family expect payment for the suggestion? Even if Apple could prove they had worked on it before, that might mean that courts would have to get involved along with expensive lawyers.

Because of these problems, many large companies refuse unsolicited product suggestions and are very careful not to allow the people coming up with new ideas risk seeing unsolicited ideas. If the company is going through some meeting with potential customers to discuss product ideas, they are paid for their time and have to sign something that releases all ideas coming from their meeting solely for that payment.

33 posted on 04/17/2006 7:29:10 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (If you have a leaking pipe, you shut off the water valve before deciding on amnesty for the puddles.)
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To: Panerai

"And in other news, Apple releases a new Nano today which will intoduce the revolutionary concept, straight from the mega-brain of Steve Jobs, of showing the lyrics of the songs so you can sing along."


34 posted on 04/17/2006 7:30:46 AM PDT by Daus
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To: teletech
I wonder how Bill Gates would have reacted to such a letter?

What makes you think that Steve Jobs actually saw the letter? The response was from an idiot lawyer. I doubt either Gates' or Jobs' response would have been anything like what happened.

35 posted on 04/17/2006 7:32:33 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (Democrats are guilty of whatever they scream the loudest about.)
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To: Panerai

The silver lining is that this little girl just got more of an education about the business world than most MBAs get.


36 posted on 04/17/2006 7:33:48 AM PDT by dfwgator (Florida Gators - 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions)
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To: M203M4

Apple should promote the lawyer, he or she appears to capable.


37 posted on 04/17/2006 7:34:21 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Panerai

No where does it say that the reader of the letter knew that it was coming from a 9 year old. Slow news day I guess. Maybe the RIAA can stop over and check the status of all the tunes on her nano. LOL That would make her and her parents cry and slam doors!


38 posted on 04/17/2006 7:34:38 AM PDT by Uddercha0s
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to be, I mean.
39 posted on 04/17/2006 7:35:00 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Panerai

Life is not fair.
Disappointments happen.
This little girl needs to realize this because it will happen again down the road.

Kids are pampered too much.


40 posted on 04/17/2006 7:35:36 AM PDT by HOTTIEBOY (The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.)
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