OK Go says Apple ripped off their music video

September 11, 2014

Yesterday's iPhone 6 and Apple Watch event kicked off with a fancy video about perspective, but rock band OK Go says the whole thing is a riff on their work shooting The Writing's on the Wall. Apple used the same director and production company as OK Go did for their music video.

Band manager Andy Gershon claims they met in April with Apple with the idea of the video, hoping to collaborate at some point. Apple turned them down, so OK Go went ahead and made their own music video, but obviously Apple felt amply inspired by the concept.

Given, Apple's video is a one-off affair and not particularly high profile in the grand scheme of things (it's not like the technique was used for an iPhone 6 ad or anything), and there isn't much legal recourse for the band, since they don't exactly have a copyright lock-down on optical illusions. Still, the move does seem a little tasteless for a company that prides itself on supporting musicians and fostering originality.

Was Apple in the wrong here, or should OK Go realize Apple's free to borrow ideas?

Source: BusinessWeek