A British designer whose original image of Steve Jobs closely resembles a later work by a Hong Kong student that became an internet sensation following the death of the Apple founder last week says he has not necessarily been 'ripped off'.
Speaking about the similarity between the two designs, which both feature a Jobs silhouette as a bite out of the Apple logo, Chris Thornley, 40, said his work, created in May, was meant to carry a positive message about a cancer sufferer battling on despite the disease.
Hong Kong student Jonathan Mak Long created his logo in August to convey his sadness after Jobs quit as CEO. The design was spread by internet users after Jobs' death.
'I designed my image back in May 2011 because I wanted to celebrate the fact that someone who had cancer was still working, still driving forward and still thinking positively about the future,' said Thornley, who has blood cancer. 'I don't feel Mak's [design] is really a rip-off necessarily - with so many people working on a design of a logo to commemorate Steve Jobs' life, someone was bound to come up with the same idea.'
Thornley's image features a black Apple logo with Jobs in white, while in Mak's the colours are reversed.
Mak still insisted he came up with the idea alone. 'I've been speaking the truth, but things get complicated when I try to clarify. The logo is a tribute to Steve Jobs. I don't intend to profit from it,' he said.