Remember That iMac Copy? Apple Settles With iMac Clone Maker Future Power (With Pic)

by , 1:30 PM EDT, June 6th, 2001

ZDNet is reporting that Apple has settled with Future Power and their parent company Daewoo for a two and half year trade dress lawsuit. Future Power was the first PC company to attempt to bring an iMac rip-off Windows machine to market. Dubbed the E-Power, the model was a direct copy of the iMac and was introduced in July of 1999. Apple sued the company with a trade dress lawsuit shortly thereafter. An injunction against Future Power was granted to Apple in November of 1999 that prohibited Future Power and Daewoo from marketing the machine. Future Power demanded a retraction from Apple concerning Apple's press release about the injunction, but that never amounted to anything. The lawsuit has been pending until now.

Blueberry iMac
"Sapphire" E-Power

According to the ZDNet report:

Under the terms of the settlement, a November 1999 preliminary injunction against Future will remain in force until Feb. 1, 2004, preventing the company from selling its E-Power "monocomputer" with a 15-inch CRT screen.

However, the settlement will let Future Power produce and sell another all-in-one unit with a 17-inch screen. In its press release noting the settlement, Future Power included detailed specifications for the new computer, called the AIO, although it didn't specify when it would be available.

There is more information in the ZDNet report that we didn't quote, and we recommend that you check it out.

The Mac Observer Spin:

We have all hoped that Apple would bring a 17" screen iMac to market, but the company is clearly moving towards flat panel all-in-ones. Come 2004, that's 3 three years from now for those keeping score at home, Future Power will *finally* be free to bring their copy cat product to market. Lucky them. In the meanwhile, the 17" AIO product might show us exactly why Apple didn't want to introduce such a product, or it could be a huge hit. We wish Future Power the best of luck with that. Or something.

When Future Power demanded their retraction from Apple, the company said that Apple wasn't being fair. Future Power *wanted* to make an all-in-one, and there were consumers that *wanted* to buy an iMac but didn't want to use the Mac OS. In essence, Future Power was claiming that those wants should supersede little things like Apple's R&D investment and vision. It is for that reason that we throw up our hands and dance a little dance at Future Power's expense. It's good to see the secondhanders lose every once in a while.

Lastly, kudos to Apple's legal team for preventing this thievery from happening. If only this same legal team had helped Apple shape its dealings with a certain company that is now based in Redmond in, say 1982 and 1983... The world might be a different place now.

ZDNet Article