Katie MarsalApple 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.
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.
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105 Comments
You know, around 3rd or 4th grade I did the same thing, got a similar reply from Hasbro, and not only did I not cry somehow I understood the situation (my guess is my parents had a strong hand in that). I'm not feeling terribly sorry for the little girl, other than maybe because her parents aren't doing their job.
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.
You'd think maybe the teacher could attach a generic letter to each one saying, "I am _____ a third-grade teacher at ____ school. The attached is a letter from my student written as part of a project. Thank you for your time."
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.
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.