Apple holds meeting after making little girl cry
Apple Computer recently held a meeting to discuss changes to its corporate policy after the company sent an upsetting legalese reply to a third-grade girl who had hand-written a letter to chief executive Steve Jobs with her thoughts on improving the iPod.
When 9-year-old Shea O'Gorman and her third-grade class began learning about writing business and formal letters, she thought who better to write to than the chief executive of the company that makes her iPod nano.
In her letter to Mr. Jobs, little Shea offered her ideas on how the company could improve on its iPod digital music players, such as adding song lyrics so listeners can sing along to their tunes.
After waiting nearly three months, Shea finally received a reply from Apple's Cupertino, Calif.-based headquarters, and the entire family gathered around to read it.
To the dismay of Shea and her family, the letter wasn't from Mr. Jobs. It was from Mark Aaker, Senior Council of the company's Law Department, telling the third-grader that Apple doesnt accept unsolicited ideas, so she should not send them her suggestions and if she wants to know why, she could read their legal policy posted on the Internet.
"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.
Of course, Apple's policy was instated to protect the company -- and anyone who submits ideas to the company -- from ending up in a costly legal spat if similar ideas are ever adopted into future Apple products. However, you'd think the handwriting of a 9-year-old may have drawn company's lighter side.
Apple reportedly decline to comment on the mishap, but the company's General Counsel placed a personal call to Shea to apologize following a CBS 5 News inquiry.
It was also reported that Apple held a meeting this past Wednesday in which it discussed ways that it could amend its corporate policy when dealing with children.
When 9-year-old Shea O'Gorman and her third-grade class began learning about writing business and formal letters, she thought who better to write to than the chief executive of the company that makes her iPod nano.
In her letter to Mr. Jobs, little Shea offered her ideas on how the company could improve on its iPod digital music players, such as adding song lyrics so listeners can sing along to their tunes.
After waiting nearly three months, Shea finally received a reply from Apple's Cupertino, Calif.-based headquarters, and the entire family gathered around to read it.
To the dismay of Shea and her family, the letter wasn't from Mr. Jobs. It was from Mark Aaker, Senior Council of the company's Law Department, telling the third-grader that Apple doesnt accept unsolicited ideas, so she should not send them her suggestions and if she wants to know why, she could read their legal policy posted on the Internet.
"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.
Of course, Apple's policy was instated to protect the company -- and anyone who submits ideas to the company -- from ending up in a costly legal spat if similar ideas are ever adopted into future Apple products. However, you'd think the handwriting of a 9-year-old may have drawn company's lighter side.
Apple reportedly decline to comment on the mishap, but the company's General Counsel placed a personal call to Shea to apologize following a CBS 5 News inquiry.
It was also reported that Apple held a meeting this past Wednesday in which it discussed ways that it could amend its corporate policy when dealing with children.
Comments
send a letter to a multi billion dollar corporation and expect a form letter for pete's sake. good time for the parents to teach the kid a lesson on how the world works. instead she continues to get her tantrums solved.
Originally posted by jfwjxn
I'm going to guess the reason for the policy is to prevent people from claiming that Apple stole their ideas. Someone could write to Apple offering suggestions, which may already be in the works or planned, and then when the product is unveiled with said suggestions the letter writer claims that he or she came up with the idea and demands compensation.
Bingo! That's the first thing I thought when I heard what happened. I suppose that's one of the few minuses for such a secret company. Having said that the reply letter was unacceptable, and more businesses need to practice subtlety when dealing with kids! That kid had nothing but good intentions and was only try to help apple, because she loves their product, the iPod. So basically they should have wrote back in a language a child could understand. Fair dues to them for changing their policies though. I couldn't see Microsoft doing that! Then again, what kid is going to write to Microsoft.
Originally posted by audiopollution
This seems to show that people have nothing else to complain about and CBS 5 News had a slow news day.
Agreed.
Apple holds meeting after making little girl cry
High fives all around.
Originally posted by Lupa
I think the headline should read:
Apple holds meeting after making little girl cry
High fives all around.
Originally posted by sandau
oh freakin waaah.
send a letter to a multi billion dollar corporation and expect a form letter for pete's sake. good time for the parents to teach the kid a lesson on how the world works. instead she continues to get her tantrums solved.
There was a time when corporations used to pride themselves on being good citizens. After all, they are real entities under law.
Times have definantly changed. It's not so disturbing that corporations have become money grubbing, hate filled entities. The disturbing part is that people seem to be applauding this change.
Yes, I'm old. The world seemed to work better in those days.
Originally posted by jasong
What's next? Stories about random Apple employees kicking puppies? Seriously, what does this have to do with anything?
hmmm, kicking puppies.
Sorry, we can't accept unsolicited suggestions on future puppy kicking products and/or services.
Its this PC bullcrap that's destroying the foundation which this country was built apon. Any parent of a kid realize that this wasn't a personal attack on their precious little brat but a generic form letter from some faceless entity.
I mean, seriously, is it that slow a flipping news day that we spend ANY time on this whatsoever!!
Originally posted by kresh
Times have definantly changed. It's not so disturbing that corporations have become money grubbing, hate filled entities.
How does Apple qualify as a "money grubbing, hate filled entity" for simply having to comply with real-world legal demands? How naive of you.
The funny part of all this is that the bloody nano DOES have lyric capability our little waif suggested to Mr. "Money Grubbing" Jobs.