News Apple confronts LuxPro over iPod shuffle imitator

As some of you have discovered, It hasn't taken long for the Taiwanese copy shops to start knocking out Shuffle clones. It was bound to happen, really.

However, copying Apple's flash based player and exhibiting it at CeBit along with iPod-u-like advertising was a ballsy move - but one that has ultimately earned LuxPro the wrath of Steveo's legal beagles. IPodLounge reports:

After persuading LuxPro to remove its iPod shuffle knock-off from its stand at the CeBIT trade show on Friday, Apple was met with little cooperation on Saturday as the Taiwanese company put the device back on display.

As reported last Thursday, LuxPro's Super shuffle is nearly indistinguishable from Apple's iPod shuffle in every way.

After news spread of the iPod look-alike last week, Apple lawyers spoke with LuxPro and got the company to remove the device from its CeBIT booth for one day. LuxPro brought the flash-based music player back out on Saturday for weekend visitors.

"Our lawyers are in the process of weighing legal options," Apple spokesman George Albrecht said.

That's all, but here's a Link. You can also see iPodLounge's pics of the doppleganger here

 

Thanks for the update goo

 

This could of course all be a clever marketing ploy. Luxpro may have knocked up a few working, pre-production samples together with a few Apple-a-like posters knowing full well that the Apple legal team and the legions of Apple fans would provide them with a level of exposure way beyond that of their marketing budget.

I expect that having done it's job Luxpro will withdraw the lookey-likey produduct before it ever gets to court and instead produce an electronically identical MP3 player in a different set of clothes on the back of all the publicity.

 

They might as well just sell them in different colours to compete with apple...

 

I agree, that was the same conclusion that I came to...