Film director Rian Johnson recently shared an interesting detail about Apple’s role in movies. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson revealed that Apple has a rule about iPhones in films. While iPhones can be shown in movies, villains are not allowed to use them on camera. This revelation came up during a discussion about Johnson’s movie “Knives Out.”
This has raised questions about how much influence Apple has over how their products are portrayed in movies. It’s not clear whether this rule is a strict requirement or just a suggestion for filmmakers.
Apple’s involvement in product placement might give them some say in how their products are shown on screen, but it’s uncertain if they can dictate how characters interact with their products.
Experts in intellectual property law, like John Bergmayer from advocacy group Public Knowledge, believe that filmmakers usually don’t need special permission to show common products in movies. He’s skeptical that a character using an iPhone in a movie would harm Apple’s brand.
Bergmayer also thinks that if Apple is only setting guidelines for how their products are used in films, it might not be a big issue. In “Knives Out,” characters use iPhones, except for the main antagonist, who doesn’t have one, following Apple’s rule.
While this might affect how iPhones are shown in mystery movies, the exact impact of Apple’s rule is still open to interpretation.
