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The Postal Service is now officially mad at Apple...

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The Potal Service doesn't seem to like Apple ripping off their music videos...

01/19/06
A Note from Ben
It has recently come to our attention that Apple Computers' new television commercial for the Intel chip features a shot-for-shot recreation of our video for 'Such Great Heights' made by the same filmmakers responsible for the original. We did not approve this commercialization and are extremely disappointed with both parties that this was executed without our consultation or consent. -Ben Gibbard, The Postal Service

Apple Ad
Video by the Postal Service

This isn't the first time Apple has gotten in trouble for their ads. When the iPod with Video was introduced in December, the Luggz Shoe Company threatened legal action if Apple didn't pull their ad featuring Eminem, as the new styling of Apple's trademark silhouttes resembled an old Luggz ad.
 
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I had not seen either one of these before, but that is too darn close.
 
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baggss said:
I had not seen either one of these before, but that is too darn close.

Well, the thing is, Apple is creating an ad featuring the production of processors. Well, it's kind of difficult to do that and not do what the Postal Service did, however, those videos show almost the exact same process, and from the same director.

That's the issue.
 
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If there isn't a massive rise in the sales of The Postal Service's Records I'd be surprised. I'd never heard of them before but now i'm gonna hop off to itunes and see what i can pick up.

All publicity is good publicity

But if someone is to 'blame' then i'd go with the director for re-using his old idea and not having the integrity to be original (and yes there probably is alot of info i'm not aware of)
 
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This Ben guy says that he is very disappointed with Apple and the director, but is the band going to sue or what? But ironically this thread caused me to go buy the Postal Service's song so this might actually be good for the band.
 
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Benjamindaines said:
This Ben guy says that he is very disappointed with Apple and the director, but is the band going to sue or what? But ironically this thread caused me to go buy the Postal Service's song so this might actually be good for the band.

I was dissapointed in Apple after hearing about this. The Postal Service is an awesome band, and it pisses me off that they would rip it off like that.
 
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praterkeith@gma

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There will most likely be an agreement made between Apple and the band. The Postal Service went through a similar ordeal with their name with the US Postal Service. It got worked out and more than likely if anything happens it will be toward the directors I would think. Ben Gibbard is an amazing musician and this sucks. But he seems like a very understanding guy.
 
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That is such a load of crap. The intel guys in the clean suits have been used since the very first pentium. If the guy is mad about the scene in the hall then he should really just grow up
 
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mig.gentry said:
If there isn't a massive rise in the sales of The Postal Service's Records I'd be surprised. I'd never heard of them before but now i'm gonna hop off to itunes and see what i can pick up.

All publicity is good publicity

But if someone is to 'blame' then i'd go with the director for re-using his old idea and not having the integrity to be original (and yes there probably is alot of info i'm not aware of)
Yeah, they're getting free publicity on all major blogs/podcasts/news sites etc., people are watching a video that would have died in relative obscurity otherwise, and tons of people are getting interested in them.

It is a really weird move by Apple, but I'm guessing the director downplayed the similarities somewhat, they loved the commercial and decided to run it anyway.
 
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t1rider321

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actually the postal service is well known, ever hear of death cab for cutie? ben sings in both of them. the postal service was a side project for ben
 
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Oh, Postal Service is a BAND... I was trying to figure out what the heck silicon clean rooms had to do with the U.S. Mail!

;)
 
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sevenhelmet said:
Oh, Postal Service is a BAND... I was trying to figure out what the heck silicon clean rooms had to do with the U.S. Mail!

;)
HAHA same here.
 
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Mahone said:
Not quite sure where you guys have been the last 3 years. :black: :headphone
<snip>

It's easy to say that, but at the same time I have friends who don't even know who Nirvana is.

Now granted, as much as I like the Postal Service, comparing them to Nirvana (at least in popularity) is a stretch, but you get my point.

The thing is, even if a band is HUGE, there are some people who really haven't heard of them.
 
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That song is about a year old, and Im not too sure what the song itself has to do with people working in a silicon waffer processing plant. I mean, I understand that there is some connection or desire between the male and female worker, but that could be shown in any line of work. If anyone is to blame, it is the director for having no original ideas. As others have said, any publicity is good publicity, and many people are finding out about this band...whoever said that this guy "Ben" is an amazing musician, well, I respect your opinion, but a drum machine and a few simple synthized effects and some moderately clever lyrics do not consitute "genius" in my book.
 
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Greenredfield said:
That song is about a year old . . . many people are finding out about this band...whoever said that this guy "Ben" is an amazing musician . . . do not consitute "genius" in my book.

Actually, the song is over 3 years old, plenty of people (over 300,000 sold) already know about the "band" (its not a band, just a little side project of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello. In fact, the collaboration occurred via email, if I remember correctly), Ben *is* an amazing *musician*, which says nothing about his "genius." Again, Postal Service was a side project. The drumbeats weren't his, they were the other half of the project, Jimmy Tamborello. The album was a true standout of its time (again, 3 years ago), of which there are heaps of copycats at the moment. Ben's *musicianship*, however, comes out in his primary project, Death Cab For Cutie. They're doing pretty well, and it has nothing to do with this Apple stuff.

Not to be *too* sarcastic, but the phrase "any publicity is good publicity" always seems to get thrown around when an artist's integrity is threatened. This community sure seems to get in a huss when *Apple's* creativity is stolen. Do you not see the parallel? :headphone
 
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Greenredfield said:
That song is about a year old, and Im not too sure what the song itself has to do with people working in a silicon waffer processing plant. I mean, I understand that there is some connection or desire between the male and female worker, but that could be shown in any line of work. If anyone is to blame, it is the director for having no original ideas. As others have said, any publicity is good publicity, and many people are finding out about this band...whoever said that this guy "Ben" is an amazing musician, well, I respect your opinion, but a drum machine and a few simple synthized effects and some moderately clever lyrics do not consitute "genius" in my book.

Actually, Apple should've made sure of that first. I screen untold amounts of video to make sure we don't bradcast anything (school news) like actual commercials/movies/etc. (with exception to parodies, obviously), after we had a fiasco last year with it...

Also, he really is a great musician. I don't want to steer the thread away from the point, but you have to give him some credit. The song (and album) are actually about 3 years old, therefore everyone who hopped on the crappy electronica/trance/slow-coolish snobby "I like drinking my mocha frapicino while I listen to this" bandwagon is far behind what they did.

Also, as stated before, his work was more on the vocals, not so much about the drums, etc. And if you do look more into his work on the project, he really did do some good work.
 
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I know its off topic and all but did anyone notice that the OS they were using in the apple ad was windows?

 
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iWonder said:
I know its off topic and all but did anyone notice that the OS they were using in the apple ad was windows?


I don't know... it's probably one of those programs designed specifically for certain buisness(es) that runs directly on the computer or over DOS.
 
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^So you mean windows then, lol.
Sorry for attackinng the *musicianship* of this Ben guy, I just am not in to it I guess. The fact that its 3 years old, only helps apple's case then. The fact that it only sold 300,000 makes it moderately succesful, and then again, fairly obscure. I think the main reason why this song saw a resurgance in popularity is because of the movie "Garden State" right?
 

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