At $99, Steve Jobs action figure is priced like an Apple product

A Chinese company has taken the wraps off a Steve Jobs action figure. But how long until Apple sues to keep this unofficial Steve Jobs action figure off store shelves?

A Chinese company called In Icons is poised to launch a new action figure of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs – complete with black turtleneck, blue jeans, "highly-articulated body" and two apples (get it?) – one whole apple and the other missing a bite. The figurine, which has been described alternately as "expressive and finely wrought" and "creepily realistic," is priced at $99, and set to ship in February. 

Of course, as Tim Hornyak of CNET points out, this isn't the first Steve Jobs action figure. Back in November of 2010, when Jobs was still alive, Chinese retailer MIC Gadget announced it was building a small plastic Jobs figurine. But Apple lawyers promptly swooped in, and ordered MIC to cease and desist. 

"Mr Jobs has not consented to the use of his name and/or image in the Product," Apple reps wrote in a filing. "Unauthorized use of a person’s name and/or likeness constitutes a violation of California Civil Code Section 3344, which prohibits the use of any person’s name, photograph or likeness in a product without that person’s prior consent."

So will the same fate befall the new action figure? Almost definitely. The toy "is supposed to ship this month, but pre-orders for the $99 figure have already stopped," notes Leslie Horn of PC Magazine. "The site says pre-orders will resume 'soon,' but if Apple's past moves on third-party tributes like this are any indication, it will probably pull the plug on the toy."

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