• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / Why did scientist Carl Sagan sue Apple Computers in 1994?

Why did scientist Carl Sagan sue Apple Computers in 1994?

February 6, 2020 by Karen Hill

It has been a long-standing practice at Apple to name their in-house, test-model computers after much-respected people.

However, when Carl Sagan first got whiff that the company was calling their pre-released Power Mac 7100 the “Sagan,” he was less than flattered.

He complained, and the company changed the name of the in-house computer to “BHA.” Upon learning that BHA stood for “Butthead Astronomer,” Sagan took Apple to court.

In 1994, Apple won the first round of litigation, then during an appeal settled for an undisclosed amount with the disgruntled scientist.

These days, Apple is more famous for their iPhones, iPods, and iPads, none of which are named after people. Duh.

Related Facts

  • What is the Difference between Apple Juice and Apple Cider and Is Apple Juice Pasteurized?
  • How Many Computers Are In Use In the World Today and How Many Personal Computers Were Sold In 1977?
  • Where did the Term Adam's Apple Come From and Why is the Lump in a Man's Throat Called an Adam's Apple?
  • Why Do Men Have a Bigger Adam's Apple Than Women and What Is the Adam's Apple Used For?
  • How Did New York City Get Its Nickname "the Big Apple" and What Does the Big Apple Mean?
  • How did the Adam's Apple get its name and Where does the term Adam's Apple come from?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Who was Andrew Carnegie and why are so many Libraries named after him?
Next Post: Did Greek Playwright Aeschylus die because a Turtle landed on his head? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy