[KarlInOhio]

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.

[Your Nightmare]

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.

Then she wouldn't be The Girl Who Had Her Feelings Hurt by Apple, she would be The Girl Who Had Her Idea Ripped Off by Apple. A victim either way. I'm not sure what the parents expected Apple to do in this situation. They should have managed her expectations better.

[Ciexyz]

Lawyers, schmoyers, they're the only ones getting rich in our society.

[1L]

This is nonsense. There's no intellectual property protection specifically for ideas. If there is a dispute about the proper property owner of something a company like Apple produces, it will be litigated anyway, so there's nothing this policy does thats effective. The policy itself is not going to prevent someone for suing on a patent, trademark, or copyright infringment, and it certainly isn't a valid defense to one.

If the company doesn't want unsolicited suggestions, they can have the person opening the mail simply trash the letter.