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In 1999, Apple's newly released Power Mac G4 desktop surpassed the 1 gigaflop barrier and was deemed a supercomputer and thus became subject to export restrictions under munitions regulations by the US government. Sales were banned to over 50 countries.

Rather than gripe, then-CEO Steve Jobs used the controversy to his advantage, making it marketing gold. There was a great TV spot for Apple with the dramatic music and tanks around the sleek G4 tower. The voiceover proudly declared, "For the first time in history, a personal computer has been classified as a weapon by the U.S. government.” It culminated with a cheeky jibe at competition: “But in the case of Pentium PCs? Well, they’re harmless.”

The witty campaign pointed out the G4's speed and ridiculed the competition. The tale has come to the fore in recent years during the discussion of modern technology exports, and the old billboard is now becoming a viral hit on the internet. It is still a classic example of how the hurdles of regulation were made to be a triumph of branding by Apple.