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Apple licenses Swiss rail clock design

The electronics giant was accused of ripping off a Swiss rail provider's design for the timekeeper in iOS 6.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
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Apple's iOS 6 clock and an official SBB watch from Mondaine Apple/Mondaine
Apple can breathe a little easier about one part of iOS 6. No, not the Maps app, but rather its use of a certain clock image owned by a Swiss rail provider.

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The Swiss Federal Railway service, or SBB, said today that it has reached a licensing agreement with Apple that allows the electronics giant to use its clock on devices like the iPad and iPhone.

An SBB spokesperson tells CNET that the amount of the licensing fee and other agreement details will remain confidential.

We've reached out to Apple and will update if we get a comment or any more information.

Apple last month was accused of ripping off SBB's iconic clock for the latest iteration of its mobile operating system. The clock was created in 1944 by then-SBB employee Hans Hilfiker. It's used throughout the railway system and is also licensed to Mondaine, a Swiss watch maker.