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Apple Yanks Toddler's Speech-Enabling App

theodp writes "TIME reports that four-year-old Maya Nieder's speech-enabling 'Speak for Yourself' app was yanked from the App Store by Apple due to an unresolved patent dispute at the behest of Prentke Romich Company (PRC) and Semantic Compaction Systems (SCS), makers of designated communication devices (not iPad apps). 'The issue of whether or not Apple should have pulled Speak for Yourself from the App Store before the case was decided is trickier. Obviously, Apple would rather be safe than sorry and remove a potentially problematic app instead of risking legal action. The problem, however, is that this isn’t some counterfeit version of Angry Birds.' 'My daughter cannot speak without this app,' writes Maya's mom, Dana. 'She cannot ask us questions. She cannot tell us that she's tired, or that she wants yogurt for lunch. She cannot tell her daddy that she loves him.' If you're so inclined, Dana suggests you drop a note to appstorenotices@apple.com."

5 of 573 comments (clear)

  1. Bad karma by mseeger · · Score: 4, Funny

    If the Buddhists are right, some patent lawyers and company executives are looking forward to an reincarnation as a pile of petrified sh*t at the bottom of the ocean.ï

    There is no way they can make up that amount of bad karma.

    1. Re:Bad karma by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Funny

      If the Buddhists are right, some patent lawyers and company executives are looking forward to an reincarnation as a pile of petrified sh*t at the bottom of the ocean.ï

      Or even worse than that, as another patent lawyer

  2. Re:Stephen Hawking by bourdux · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would pay to hear Stephen Hawking speaking with a Morgan Freeman voice though...

  3. Re:Don't use iOS by Cryacin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually I was thinking more along the lines of the hilarity here where apple fanboi's are forced to think of the children.

    --
    Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
  4. Re:But she still can... by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 3, Funny

    oh shit.