It was reported by 9to5Mac that Apple was requesting that Chinese manufacturer In Icon to stop production of what is thought of as the most realistic Steve Jobs figurine to date. While it is known as CEO Tandy Cheung’s stance on Apple having a copyright to JOb’s likeness, a new report from Paid Content claimed that the doll is legal in most states and that “Apple’s legal claim is largely bogus.
The report explained that people cannot own the rights to their likeness, and most American states do not recognize these rights after death. According to Paid Content, there are currently only 12 states that recognize “personal rights” after their death.
What this means is that Apple’s warning about the doll is an empty threat in most places. It may not even be able to stop others from using the name Steve Jobs as, surprisingly, the term does not appear on the company’s long list of registered trademarks.
Due to this news, several of the figurines have appeared on a couple of different eBay stores worldwide. One on the US eBay store is listed with a ‘Buy It Now’ price tag of US $138.88 and ships straight from Hong Kong. The figurines have also landed on Australian eBay. You can still preorder from the manufacturers website for $109.99 with shipping expected to start in February. The website however has noted a first come first served basis with refunds being issued when stock runs out.
Paid Content cited the following list of states where the doll could potentially run into an issue, according to a recent paper on Dignitarian Posthumous Personality Rights:
Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, California, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, New Jersey, Nevada, Nebraska, Kentucky, Tennessee and Oklahoma.