operation butt-head

hail sagan! ONE CRACKED FACT | [View in Browser]( [logo]( Carl Sagan Sued Apple for Calling Him a Butt-Head By: [RM Avatar] [Ryan Menezes]( • August 26, 2021 [08262021]( Astronomer Carl Sagan had a thing about the word "billion." He pronounced it in a particular way, and "billions and billions" sort of became his catchphrase, so he wrote a book with that title. In 1994, when Apple wanted their new computer to sell billions of units, they codenamed it "Carl Sagan." A nice harmless homage, right? Not so, said Carl Sagan, who threatened legal action. He didn't want anyone to think he was endorsing the product. "Carl Sagan" was just an internal codename, and Apple never used it in ads, so this was a misplaced fear, but Apple backed down. They gave the computer a new codename: BHA, or "Butt-Head Astronomer." Now, Sagan really did sue. He accused Apple of libel, which is a very specific offense in American courts, and mocking someone with a silly nickname absolutely does not constitute libel. The judge addressed the matter as seriously as he could. Given that "butt-head astronomer" doesn't really denigrate Sagan's professional skills, "The only remaining assertion is the bare statement that Plaintiff is a 'butt-head astronomer.' Clearly this phrase cannot rest on a core of objective evidence. Plaintiff does not suggest any other assertions of objective fact that could be reasonably implied from the phrase." Having failed with this lawsuit, Sagan made good on his original threat and sued Apple for using his likeness. This suit failed as well. But with the appeals dragging on, and Apple risking losing points with the crucial nerd demographic, the company agreed on a settlement. The legal team also put out a statement affirming their respect for Carl Sagan. For more silly suits, check out: - [4 People Filing Lawsuits For Their Own Dumb Mistakes]( - [5 Wild Hollywood Lawsuits]( - [5 Baffling Jerk Moves That Won Actual Lawsuits]( Top image: [NASA]( [Daily Digest]( [Meet The Bulletproof Bat Monster Of Van Meter, Iowa]( [By Ethan Tyrrell / August 26th, 2021]( [15 Iconic Movie Shots We Didn’t Know Were Super Tricky To Pull Off]( [By Andrea Meno / August 26th, 2021]( [4 Bizarre Origins Of Famous Movies And TV Shows]( [By Amanda Mannen / August 26th, 2021]( [OnlyFans Reverses Controversial Decision To Ban 'Explicit' Content]( [By Carly Tennes / August 25th, 2021]( [Going Deep With The Colossal Submarine Internet Cables Which Connect Us]( [By Oona O'Brien / August 25th, 2021]( [READ MORE]( [fb]( [tw]( [yt]( [flipboard]( [insta png]( [tiktok png]( [ARTICLES]( | [PICTOFACTS]( | [Videos]( Literally media Ltd. 190 West St, Suite 17B, Brooklyn NY 11222 COPYRIGHT © 2005-2021 Cracked is published by Literally media Ltd. [Unsubscribe](