Aren't there Postal Service songs in at least 2 commercials and 2 or more movie trailers? What's the big deal about a recreation of a video that was only seen by a small percentage of the population?

What the hell are they talking about?

I hope Apple crushes those sissies just for shits and giggles.....

I think they would have no problem if they actually used a song, but I think they believed that Apple paid someone to make a song sound similar to their "retro" synth style.
I'd say the band does better in this lawsuit than they did with the actual US Postal Service. I can't actually remember hearing the ripoff song on the commercial in question, but if they sound even remotely similar, I'm guessing Apple should throw them some bones for ripping them off.

The issue isn't the song used in the commercial. The issue is with the images, which is similar (or identical?) the music video's.

If the issue is images or similarities to a video, the band doesn't stand a chance. Apple could basically use a parody defense or artistic styling as a reason for the similarity. You have to blatantly rip off or essentially copy an image or movie to lose a lawsuit like this.

Gib's comment made it seem like the footage they used was the same. Maybe all clean rooms just look identical.

Which I doubt they have any ownership over. My guess is that these filmakers do and so they are well within their rights to produce a commercial that is similiar to the music video.

I swear, I think these people just use shit like this as free publicity under the auspices of being "tortured artists". Or stage some sort of fake scheme whereby they get dropped and resigned to the same record company so they can make a documentary about the evils of the record business....

Whoops! That was Wilco. Sorry.

Well, if it were a shot for shot recreation, as Gibbard says, he'd have a point. It doesn't seem like it is, though. Then again, the video provded on the The Postal Service's site is way to small to pay any attention to.

There are no new ideas any more. Creativity has run its course -- the rats won.