14 DAY TRIAL // Rapper Wil.i.am accuses Microsoft of stealing the design of the Surface Earbuds, claiming that he actually showed the tech giant the design of the so-called BUTTONS 4 years ago.
Microsoft unveiled the Surface Earbuds at the company’s Surface event earlier this week, while shipments would kick off later this month.
Surface Earbuds are essentially Microsoft’s very own alternative to Apple’s AirPods, coming with support for any Bluetooth device and working even with iPhones and Siri digital assistant. However, Earbuds provide exclusive functionality on Android, like support for gestures, including a triple-tap that can start Spotify music playback at any point.
The design of the Surface Earbuds is extremely minimal, and when viewer from the outside, they look like simple white buttons without any other bling-blings. However, Will.i.am says Microsoft actually stole the design from a start-up that invented it several years ago.
“This hurts...An African American start up struggling to inspire innercity kids with tech, only to find a GIANT steals our individuality & differentiation... #GetYOURownSTYLE your so 2000&LATE #cultureTHEFT...@Microsoft remember when I showed you our #BUTTONS 4years ago?” the rapper posted. The tweet also includes the comparison photo that you can see in the article here.
“Just a circle”
While some replies to the original tweet support the rapper’s claims, others suggest Will.i.am is only trying to copyright a generic shape, as both designs are circular.
Needless to say, Microsoft hasn’t responded to these claims, and there’s a good chance the company won’t actually offer a statement on this given the accusations.
However, given the design of the two products pretty much comes down to a circle, it’s hard to believe that Microsoft can be blamed for anything here, not to mention that the BUTTONS released by Will.i.am are actually wired between the earbuds and do not come with a wireless version.