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> Apple had the legal right, sure, but they should have just respected Sagan's desire for them not to use his name without being dicks about it. To me, it soun

by dvt 5y ago

> Apple had the legal right, sure, but they should have just respected Sagan's desire for them not to use his name without being dicks about it. To me, it sounds like Carl Sagan is being a dick. It was an internal name, so who cares. It's kind of an honor. I don't really understand the cringe-inducing sainthood that the online tech/nerd community bestowed upon Carl Sagan over the past 30 years. I don't even think he did that much original research.

horsawlarway 5y ago
I mean - it's his name. Who gives a flying fuck what apple was doing with it - clearly he learned they were using it, so it wasn't all that "internal" was it? Dick move from a butt-head fruit.
- not2b 5y ago
  MacWeek published an article about the code name, along with the code names "Piltdown Man" and "Cold Fusion" for two other Power Macs. That's how he found out. So, two well-known scientific hoaxes and him. Sounds like they were implicitly calling him a hoax as well, though I think they were just hoping to make "billions and billions", and putting those three names together was something MacWeek, not Apple, did. Sure, Sagan probably shouldn't have sued a second time, it just triggers the Streisand Effect. But it's understandable why he was pissed off. https://www.engadget.com/2014-02-26-when-carl-sagan-sued-apple-twice.html https://www.engadget.com/2014-02-26-when-carl-sagan-sued-app...
colechristensen 5y ago
You should be able to choose to decline the “honor” of a company naming something after you, regardless of who you are.
- dvt 5y ago
  This is a ridiculous take in the context of the suit. It's internal, it wasn't used in any promotional/public material. Someone leaked it to him (most likely broke an NDA). Besides, I'm sure he's not the only "Carl Sagan" around, anyway.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - not2b 5y ago
    MacWeek published the code name.
  - colechristensen 5y ago
    It was obviously named for him and if it was actually internal only it wouldn’t have been known. I think of it like trying to protect a trademark, it’s fair to try to protect somebody from using your name, especially when the usage doesn’t have anything to do with fair use. A code name that you publicize with somebody’s name is using them as an unwilling participant in promoting your products.
    - dvt 5y ago
      > It was obviously named for him and if it was actually internal only it wouldn’t have been known. Plenty of state secrets get leaked regularly, but you draw the line at funny internal product names?
  - 8note 5y ago
    That makes it seem like it's ok to give your employees counterfeit iphones, as long as they stay internal
hatsuseno 5y ago
If nothing else it's respect for the science communicator side of Sagan, who 'obviously' would get increasing praise with the STEM-advocates over the past decades. That aside, wanting your name struck from a project, internal or not, is reasonable if someone has something against the business practices of a company. That's about the only, to me, valid reason for requesting the cessation. Doubling down with butt-head astronomer instead is pretty dickish, though.
goto11 5y ago
It was used in a MacWeek article which is why Sagan learned about it. So they used it as part of the marketing, it was not just an internal name. Whether you are a fan of Sagan or not, I thing every person should have the right to chose if they want endorse a product or not.

by dvt 5y ago

horsawlarway 5y ago

I mean - it's his name. Who gives a flying fuck what apple was doing with it - clearly he learned they were using it, so it wasn't all that "internal" was it? Dick move from a butt-head fruit.

not2b 5y ago
MacWeek published an article about the code name, along with the code names "Piltdown Man" and "Cold Fusion" for two other Power Macs. That's how he found out. So, two well-known scientific hoaxes and him. Sounds like they were implicitly calling him a hoax as well, though I think they were just hoping to make "billions and billions", and putting those three names together was something MacWeek, not Apple, did. Sure, Sagan probably shouldn't have sued a second time, it just triggers the Streisand Effect. But it's understandable why he was pissed off. https://www.engadget.com/2014-02-26-when-carl-sagan-sued-apple-twice.html https://www.engadget.com/2014-02-26-when-carl-sagan-sued-app...

colechristensen 5y ago

You should be able to choose to decline the “honor” of a company naming something after you, regardless of who you are.

dvt 5y ago
This is a ridiculous take in the context of the suit. It's internal, it wasn't used in any promotional/public material. Someone leaked it to him (most likely broke an NDA). Besides, I'm sure he's not the only "Carl Sagan" around, anyway.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- not2b 5y ago
  MacWeek published the code name.
- colechristensen 5y ago
  It was obviously named for him and if it was actually internal only it wouldn’t have been known. I think of it like trying to protect a trademark, it’s fair to try to protect somebody from using your name, especially when the usage doesn’t have anything to do with fair use. A code name that you publicize with somebody’s name is using them as an unwilling participant in promoting your products.
  - dvt 5y ago
    > It was obviously named for him and if it was actually internal only it wouldn’t have been known. Plenty of state secrets get leaked regularly, but you draw the line at funny internal product names?
- 8note 5y ago
  That makes it seem like it's ok to give your employees counterfeit iphones, as long as they stay internal

hatsuseno 5y ago

If nothing else it's respect for the science communicator side of Sagan, who 'obviously' would get increasing praise with the STEM-advocates over the past decades. That aside, wanting your name struck from a project, internal or not, is reasonable if someone has something against the business practices of a company. That's about the only, to me, valid reason for requesting the cessation. Doubling down with butt-head astronomer instead is pretty dickish, though.

goto11 5y ago

It was used in a MacWeek article which is why Sagan learned about it. So they used it as part of the marketing, it was not just an internal name. Whether you are a fan of Sagan or not, I thing every person should have the right to chose if they want endorse a product or not.