Macintosh manufacturer Apple Inc. and a New York City environmental initiative both have apple logos, but is that an original sin? Apple Inc. thinks problems will stem from the too-similar logos, and has filed a trademark infringement complaint against GreeNYC, the Big Apple's campaign to boost environmental awareness. But a spokesperson for New York City's marketing arm disputes the core problem, biting back, "We believe the infinity apple design and its mission to create environmental awareness are unique and distinctive and do not infringe upon the Apple Computer brand." Ironically, the computer company was itself the target of a drawn-out trademark-infringement kerfuffle with Beatles-founded Apple Records, which, of course, also represents itself with a green fruit.
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Comments
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pinkyracer Posted 10:16 am
07 Apr 2008
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mtssea Posted 6:07 am
08 Apr 2008
Why do you corps never cease to amaze us with your imaginary 'intellectual rights' as if you actually operate in a vacuum with your exclusive ideas, images, concepts and whatnot. why don't you just copyright oxygen and sell it?
You're a computer manufacturer and if anything, the NYC infinity apple will only make people think of Mac's vs. PCs and if you're not happy with that then...well, you're right on up there with all the rest of the mega-corporations and their imaginary worlds they think they own. Get over yourself - you're just a company and this is free advertizing, not a blow to your egg-shell egos. Oh - and thanks for reminding me how lame you can be Apple...I'll keep it in mind since so far, you seemed like a fairly cool company. Bummer.
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shaynek788 Posted 1:40 pm
08 Apr 2008
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lnaerheim Posted 1:43 pm
08 Apr 2008
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mfitzger12 Posted 2:45 pm
08 Apr 2008
http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/bod.html
Anyone have Al on speed dial?
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mfitzger12 Posted 2:52 pm
08 Apr 2008
http://www.apple.com/contact/
As a concerned consumer, Apple's choice to pursue blocking New York's trademark application for its "GreeNYC" logo, which is a green apple, appears in bad taste. It appears that Apple is going against the concept of "going green", is going against a city that is still recovering from hardships suffered during 911, and is placing unnecessary roadblocks on efforts by a city trying to do some very positive things for the environment. Please don't waste your own dollars and New York City taxpayer dollars fighting this legal battle, which will ultimately result in leaving consumers with a negative impression of Apple's commitment to the environment, and questioning Apple's priorities and motives. Unfortunately Apple did not see an opportunity here to piggy-back on New York's new green apple logo, and leverage an association between that logo and Apple's own efforts at "going green" to protect the environment and safeguard consumers' futures.
From a consumer's point of view, I personally do not think the two apples look similar.
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TitanGreens Posted 3:38 am
10 Apr 2008
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terre Posted 5:27 am
10 Apr 2008
However, I hope Apple the computer company does not prevail in their challenge to the city known as The Big Apple. Here's why:
-- The public is not likely to confuse a computer company with a city program. Potential for confusion between the brands is a major test.
-- People are also not likely to confuse a green initiative with a computer company that has not done its brilliant best to be green. Gore on the board is lovely, but I want to see Apple apply their remarkable brand of genius to making their operations and products less harmful to the environment. When they do, the benefits will be huge.
-- New York has been called The Big Apple for a long time. Who used it first is also a test of trademark. People just didn't 'brand' themselves and get trademarks for every name and picture they could think to lay claim to, until recently.
-- People are not likely to confuse the logo symbols themselves. They are very different graphically, differences that can be measured, from color to shape to meaning to usage.
-- The apple is a fruit. Apple's logo is their interpretation of this fruit, not ownership of the fruit as a basis for creative concept.
Apple Computer has been a leader in aggressive trademark assertion. It got its way and settled with the Beatle's Apple and also the original owner of the iPhone trademark. It's unpredictable what will happen with this challenge, but I think it bites.
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