They didn't create the clock with the notion that it would cost this much. They used a design, whether it was copied or not from the Swiss design, and subsequently the Swiss Rail claimed infringement.
"it has... included among examples of outstanding 20th-century design by both the Design Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City"
_This_ particular clock? Very very unlikely. Especially in a company such as Apple where design is so important. It's impossible that Apple were unaware of this design.
Part of the $21 million is to not have to say that.
Minion: Aye aye.
Doesn't mean the boss intended for it to be an exact copy, or that anybody even realized it was protected. Swiss clocks are like 900 years old, surely it's public domain by now, right?
Plus or minus, you know, an order of magnitude. The Swiss railway clock was designed in the 40s/50s.
They knew.
The point is that Apple is a company of designers. They know this stuff. The fact that they have been on a ruthless campaign of patent thuggery over elements of design much more subtle than this and cry continuously and loudly about how everyone is stealing their "intellectual property" makes this incident stand out in sharp relief. Sharp, hypocritical, relief.
As to the issue at hand I totally agree with your position.