iPad p*sses off Gaelgóirs

cornbb

I thought this was worth reposting, given the day that's in it

Apple's iPad launch could be thrown off course by a last minute objection to the device's name by a small Irish American civil rights group.

Boston-based Féach ar na Féilire claims it registered the name 11 years ago for a now-defunct online advice service for Irish Gaelic speaking immigrants in the US.

Pádraig O'Súil, national convener of the group, told The Register, via a translator, that the organisation had written to Apple numerous times, but had yet to receive a reply.

Its lawyers were now preparing a filing to freeze the launch of the ground breaking device in an effort to bring Apple to the negotiating table.

"This is just another example of Apple's arrogance towards the American Irish speaking community, in both America and Ireland," O'Súil said. The Mac maker had consistently failed to provide Irish language capabilities in its operating system, he claimed, and had never localised its products for Irish and other Gaelic-speaking markets.

"Yet at the same time they're happy to raid the Irish lexicon for their product names when it suits them. Look at the Mac - that means son in Irish, you know" he said. "It's just one slap in the face after another." When pressed for other examples he said he'd get back to us.

O'Súil added that the organisation had raised its latest concerns with Apple as soon as it heard about the upcoming launch, but the computing giant had consistently ignored its complaints.

He admitted that Apple's lack of a response could've been down to the group's insistence on writing to Cupertino in Irish. However, a change in the organisation's constitution had been necessary before it could engage a firm of bilingual trademark attorneys, Mahone, Butt and Mahone, which was able to take instruction in Irish and issue writs in English.

An Apple spokesperson said, "Saoire le do thoil teachtaireacht tar éis an ton."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/01/ipad_gaelic/

banquo

my friend sitting beside me wrote:

Little more than to squeeze some cash from a successful company by some folk who never even used the name for anything. It's a coincidence, the courts will rule in Apple's favour.

Also, don't delay the Irish launch! Assholes.

Shall I remind him of the date?

Hmm. I think no.

displaced dub

banquo wrote: »

Shall I remind him of the date?

Hmm. I think no.

this is one of the better one i just pissed myself and now i have to go to the toilet.

muggyog

Go hana mhaith ar fad! An awful lot of work went into this and it certainly impressed me. O'Suil indeed! More like mo suil.

displaced dub

mailed this to my brother in sydney earlier and he just mailed back saying he cant believe ireland could hold up the launch of the ipad... then i remembered its tomorrow in sydney:D:D

Ste.phen

Ha, I particularly like that the group's name was Féach ar na Féilire. Nice touch

ethernet

El Reg goes OTT every year. First the rumpus about the orange banner on St. Patrick's Day and then this. The article is funny but the comments always have to bring up that part of history.

conor.hogan.2

what part of history?

All of it in Ireland for about 2000 years?

cornbb

ethernet wrote: »

El Reg goes OTT every year. First the rumpus about the orange banner on St. Patrick's Day and then this. The article is funny but the comments always have to bring up that part of history.

I've really gone off the Register recently. I used to like their tongue-in-cheek style (I mean how could you not love this headline), but they really are the Daily Mail of tech news.