Apparently Apple’s old tag line, “think different,” only goes so far. After viewing an upcoming unauthorized biography of Steve Jobs written by Jeffrey S. Young, Apple pulled all the books from the publisher, John Wiley & Sons, from shelves in all of its Apple stores. When the publisher offered to make changes to mollify Apple, it was told that the only “fix” is “not to publish the book.” Coming on the heels of a string of lawsuits against individuals for leaking information about upcoming products, this action raises the question of where Apple’s culture is headed. The company that once prided itself on being “insanely great” now seems to be becoming insanely paranoid. While Outsell respects companies’ right to protect intellectual property and reputation, this most recent action seems heavy-handed. Moreover, the people most affected are the very authors that Apple depends on to write books about its products. Adding to the irony is that while Apple has become "hard and crunchy" like its namesake, its nemesis, Microsoft, has shown some soft edges in its sanctioning of a Web site by employee Robert Scoble that routinely criticizes Microsoft products. Outsell believes that if Apple is to retain its “kinder, gentler” brand, it should find more constructive ways to deal with challenges such as these.
