sbb

Time is money: Apple pays $21M for clock design, says report

Quality Swiss-made timepieces don't come cheap. Just ask Apple.

The company shelled out a $21 million "lump sum" to license a clock-face design from the Swiss Federal Railway service, French news agency AFP reported, citing a Swiss paper.

In September, the railway service, also known as SBB, objected to the clock-face design in iOS 6, saying it too closely resembled a trademarked design created in 1944 by SBB employee Hans Hilfiker and used in train stations throughout Switzerland.

Hilfiker's design has been honored by both the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the London … Read more

Apple licenses Swiss rail clock design

Apple can breathe a little easier about one part of iOS 6. No, not the Maps app, but rather its use of a certain clock image owned by a Swiss rail provider.

The Swiss Federal Railway service, or SBB, said today that it has reached a licensing agreement with Apple that allows the electronics giant to use its clock on devices like the iPad and iPhone.

An SBB spokesperson tells CNET that the amount of the licensing fee and other agreement details will remain confidential.

We've reached out to Apple and will update if we get a comment or … Read more

Apple accused of ripping off famous Swiss clock design

The new look of Apple's clock app on the iPad that came alongside iOS 6 yesterday is ruffling some feathers abroad.

In a report in Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger (by way of Macrumors), the Swiss Federal Railway service, or SBB, has taken offense to the app's design, to which it says it owns the trademark.

The 1944 design by then-SBB employee Hans Hilfiker (which you can see here) is used in station clocks throughout the railway system, which is well-known for its timeliness. It's also licensed to Mondaine, a Swiss watch manufacturer.

An SBB spokesman … Read more