Specific clause Apple has for movie characters that may actually end up ruining the plot for you

While customers queue outside Apple stores for hours on end to be the first people to get their hands on new products, the film industry isn't as fussed.

That's because a specific clause Apple has for the use of its gadgets on screen could end up ruining the whole film for viewers.

While you can use your iPhone to catch cheating villains in real life, you can also use them to help you identify the bad guy on your TV screen, thanks to a so-called 'no villain clause' reportedly imposed by the tech giants.

This essentially means that Apple doesn't allow villains to use their products in TV, films, or adverts.

Did you know only certain characters are allowed to use Apple products on screen? (20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORP/EVERETT)

One famous example is HBO’s Succession. While most of the characters use iPhones, antagonists Logan Roy, Gerri Kellman, and Tom Wambsgans are never seen with an Apple product.

Rumours about the alleged clause's existence first surfaced in a 2020 Vanity Fair interview with filmmaker Rian Johnson, when talking about his work on the first Knives Out mystery.

He said: "Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies. But - and this is very pivotal - if you’re ever watching a mystery movie, bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera."

The company's alleged 'no villain clause' means bad guys aren't allowed to be shown with Apple products (Apple)

And an August 2024 interview with prop master Heidi Koleto on the Wrap Drinks podcast added fuel to the fire.

She said: "I got a script once where an actress is supposed to be looking at her phone while she’s driving drunk and crashes her car. They wanted to see a text message pop up and I had to be like, 'We can’t do that. We’ve established this character with an Apple phone. We can’t have her driving drunk and crashing while looking at an iPhone, they’ll never work with me again.'"

Richard Osman also discussed the clause on The Rest is Entertainment podcast, something he will no doubt be aware of as Netflix prepares to launch The Thursday Murder Club later this year.

While Apple have never commented directly on the 'no villain clause,' their Guidelines for Using Apple Trademarks and Copyrights stipulates that all Apple products must be 'shown only in the best light, in a manner or context that reflects favorably on the Apple products and on Apple Inc.'

The document also states: "You may not use an Apple trademark or any other Apple-owned graphic symbol, logo, or icon in a disparaging manner."

So, next time you're trying to figure out who the bad guy is, try taking a look at their smartphone...