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Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

androidauthority.com

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Re: Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

#41

Post by papito »

praptak wrote: post #10

Trademark protection should only apply where it prevents customer confusion. A consumer electronics company has no business in preventing anyone from using a similar logo for selling fruit .

Lord forbid the fruit company and its employees make an extra buck when the customers get confused and buy a bunch of fruit instead of an iPhone. "So, how do I start the metaverse on this..."

I understand the whole thing about positive association with a successful company, but come on. How insecure can you be?

Re: Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

#43

Post by londons_explore »

grey_earthling wrote: post #31

If Apple want to argue that the logos are confusingly similar, well OK then: the newer company should be obliged to change their logo.

> newer

I think you misspelled "with a bigger legal budget".

Re: Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

#44

Post by saiya-jin »

amarant wrote: post #9
world-set-free wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is suprising what you can do with hundreds of lawyers and several congressmen.

It's especially surprising considering those congressmen should in theory have exactly 0 power over anything in the country where this lawsuit is taking place. But honestly, Apple has bitten a bitter fruit on this one; there's no way they'll win this.

Well, they look like bunch of arrogant clueless idiots to whole world (I am seeing this story in various tabloids across Europe), if that was their mission then congrats to success.

It will also alienate non-trivial part of Swiss population, who are (rightly) patriotic to everything Swiss-made or grown. Few millions of direct losses in one of the wealthiest (albeit small) markets globally.

Is somebody from brexit team, ie Boris Johnson employed as consultant on this brilliantly executed move?

Re: Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

#45

Post by soneil »

fredoralive wrote: post #24
soneil wrote: post #23

Has anyone been able to find any original sources on this? I'm curious to see the scope of the actual trademark. All the reporting looks like a game of "chinese whispers".

The Wired article links to this https://www3.wipo.int/madrid/monitor/en/showData.jsp?ID=ROM.... which is the logo of The Beatles' Apple Corps, that is now owned by Apple Inc as part of the settlement of the disagreements between the two Apples.

the scope on that (the line 511 classification) looks like it's the same as Apple Corps would have used, it's not even being registered in the scope of computing. which is even odder.

So they're trying to register the mark previously owned by Apple Corps, within the scope of the original mark. I'm not sure where the actual conflict is then, unless Fruits Suisse are also in the music industry.

Re: Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

#47

Post by kachnuv_ocasek »

magnat wrote: post #30
expertentipp wrote: post #11

You are going at war with Poland, Sir. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_apple_pro...

They already did in 2015, when they (unsuccessfully) sued a.pl (polish online grocery store) for their domain name.

…what? I just cannot comprehend what Apple’s strategy is. Can somebody with more business intuition please explain to me what Apple’s endgame might be with all these litigations?

Re: Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

#49

Post by dghughes »

Paul-Craft wrote: post #15
praptak wrote: post #10

Trademark protection should only apply where it prevents customer confusion. A consumer electronics company has no business in preventing anyone from using a similar logo for selling fruit .

Agreed 100%. The logos are not even vaguely similar, either! Besides, didn't we already go through this decades ago with Apple Records? ¯\\\_ (ツ)_/¯ Probably a case of "lawyers gonna lawyer," because US trademark law demands that one vigorously defend their trademark, lest they lose it. SMH https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer

Apple Computer Inc should always be used in advertising and on products. Shortening it to just Apple may confuse people wanting to buy apples. The Apple Store is misleading they don't sell fruit.

Re: Apple could force a 111-year-old fruit company to change its Apple logo

#50

Post by vetinari »

rjmunro wrote: post #37
grey_earthling wrote: post #31

If Apple want to argue that the logos are confusingly similar, well OK then: the newer company should be obliged to change their logo.

You mean the newer logo should be changed - I don't think the fruit company has had the same logo for 111 years.

Neither did Apple Inc.; the current flat one is from 2017.
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