Is Apple Trying to Stop iPad Giveaways?

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The iPad is so hot companies were trying to promote themselves by given them away before Steve Jobs even launched it.

Now it seems that Apple now starting to enforce a lengthy series of guidelines with would-be promoters that may signal the end of iPad giveaways. 

Philip Elmer-DeWitt over at Fortune says that Apple is now approaching companies to make them adhere to an over 700-word two-page set of guidelines about using Apple products in third-party promotions, which you can download here (PDF.)

The biggest problem? Apple has some rules that might hinder companies wanting to give away iPods (like you need to buy 250 of them) but giving away iPads is, ahem, verboten.

“iPad, iPhone and the iPhone Gift Card may not be used in third-party promotions.”

Then there are other specs that many companies have probably unwittingly violated:

• Always show products on a plain background.
• Do not clutter Apple product photos with props, models or marketing messages.
• Always show an active, “turned-on” product screen. Do not add customized images…

Here at Cult of Mac, we’ve only been hearing from companies who want us to help them promote these giveaways, not that Apple has tried to stop them.

If your company has recently launched an iPad giveaway, have you heard from Apple about the guidelines?

Via Fortune

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