Why assume we’re somehow licensed by Apple Inc?

I’ve received this question many times, most recently at a press event in Dubai. Someone asks me what magazine I’m from and I say “Shufflegazine”. Then, almost regardless of whether they’ve heard of us or not, the issue comes up of what we write about. I say we’re an Apple lifestyle magazine, so we focus on Apple things but we also write about everything around that, like printers, cameras, accessories, etc.

Then comes the question, and it can take on different forms of course, but it’s usually something like “so, you’re licensed then by Apple?” or “so, you’re approved then by Apple?” It’s usually Apple that’s mentioned but it happens that Apple is substituted for ABM, Apple’s Middle East distributor.

Why would someone assume that because we’re an Apple-focused magazine we have to be licensed or approved by Apple Inc?

Is a Windows magazine licensed or approved by Microsoft? Is a PC magazine licensed or approved by Dell, HP, Acer, etc?

I guess there is a misconception in the non-Apple community that to write about Apple and their products you somehow have to have their stamp of approval. That you have to get Steve Job’s blessing, so to speak. Of course we know that Apple is very protective over their news, their products, and their image, sometimes to the point of paranoia I would say, but that doesn’t meant they in some big-brother, 1984, fashion control whether we have a magazine mainly about them and their products.

Anyway, I’m not exactly sure where that idea comes from but it seems to be very widespread and although I should be used to it by now it still annoys me.

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