Another 'illegal' Apple iPod touch billboard scrutinized

The giant advertisement for the iPod touch at 1205 N. Highland Ave. reportedly broke free in a wind storm last October, bringing the massive display crashing to the ground, according to the Los Angeles Times. The billboard, placed for Apple through CBS Outdoor, reads "More games. More fun."

CBS Outdoor told city officials last week that it will remove two advertisements, at least one of which is the iPod touch billboard. The company's decision was provoked by the city attorney's office, which issued a cease-and-desist letter.

Removal of the sign may not bring the end of problems for CBS Outdoor, however. City officials said that the advertising company could still be held responsible for the amount of time that the advertisements were displayed. What role, if any, Apple could play in matter is unknown.

The efforts are part of a continuing crackdown in Los Angeles against "supergraphics." In the last few months, illegal signs have been removed and one person even did three days of jail time for posting advertisements that were not permitted. In addition to safety concerns, the signs are considered by some locals to be an eyesore.

Last year, another giant iPod touch advertisement came under scrutiny in Boston. The banner became a factor in a political controversy when it was revealed that a top campaign aide to the city's mayor assisted in the permitting process an acquaintance who had donated money to the mayor's campaigns.

Last November, the controversial billboard was removed without explanation. The 13,750-square-foot advertisement had been in place since the fall of 2007. The companies behind the Boston billboard previously agreed to pay $110,000 for a settlement — the largest known payment for any such advertising dispute — in June, in order to allow the sign to remain.