It's early, but the Federal Trade Commission is going to be hard to beat for the regulatory overreach of the year. Last month the agency approved a $32.5 million settlement with Apple in a case that the dissenting commissioner, Joshua Wright, says boils down to this question: "Do you really want a regulatory agency designing your iPad?"

He isn't exaggerating. Mr. Wright's fellow commissioners pursued Apple over what they decided was poor design of the iPad. This critique may be a first for Apple, which is renowned...