Faced with immense pressure from the Jobs family, Chinese company In Icons cancels production
From the time Chinese company In Icons announced its alarmingly realistic Steve Jobs doll, we knew it was a lawsuit waiting to happen. The inevitable threats of legal action claiming violation against a law called Right of Publicity began a few days later. Even so, In Icons owner Tandy Cheung fully intended to continue, boldly declaring that he won't stop production no matter what Apple does. Bad news for those who already pre-ordered their action figures, though: Cheung decided not to release them after all, due to immense pressure from Apple and the Jobs family.
In a statement published on the In Icons website, Cheung writes, "Though we still believe that we have not overstepped any legal boundaries, we have decided to completely stop the offer, production, and sale of the Steve Jobs figurine out of our heartfelt sensitivity to the feelings of the Jobs family." Cheung also mentions that his company will fully refund customers who've already paid for the $99 figure.
As if looking extremely life-like isn't creepy enough, the In Icons Steve Jobs figurine even comes with miniature versions of the late Apple executive's signature clothes (a black turtleneck, blue jeans, and a pair of glasses) and a "One More Thing" backdrop. Prior to this particular doll, Apple also pursued the banning of another one by M.I.C. Gadget last year. That version, however, had Steve Jobs disguised in ninja garb, and was released under the outrageous name of The Phenomenal Pineapple CEO Action Figure.
[via CNET]
This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca
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