@alienmelon "Butt-Headed Astronomer" is an oldie but... | raganwald 🍓

Nathalie Lawhead (alienmelon)'s posts Post Back to profile

@alienmelon "Butt-Headed Astronomer" is an oldie but goodie in this genre.

When Apple engineers codenamed their 1994 Power Macintosh 7100 "Carl Sagan,” the late astronomer thought it would be misconstrued as an endorsement and asked them to change it. Apple complied, instead codenaming it "BHA", short for "butt-headed astronomer”. When Sagan found out he sued them claiming it damaged his reputation.

Who won? Apple. A judge dismissed Sagan's claims, saying "one does not seriously attack the expertise of a scientist using the undefined phrase 'butt-head'.” Sagan appealed, lost, then he appealed again. In ¢ the end he settled for an undisclosed sum, and Apple changed the codename again, this time to "LaW", short for "Lawyers are Wimps".

Like 18 Dec 2024 at 15:36 | Wall-to-wall | Open on social.bau-ha.us

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