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As The Big Apple adopts a new "green" logo, Apple (purveyor of iThings) is turning red. Wired reports that the emblem for New York City's GreeNYC campaign "shows a stylized apple with a stalk and a leaf. It bears a resemblance to Apple's famous logo -- a resemblance Apple says infringes on its trademark."
While Mother Nature was unavailable for comment, rumor is the Partridge Family bird has been chirping about a trademark infringement case himself. In the meantime, NYC & Company officially applied to trademark their apple logo early last year, as Apple filed a formal opposition. In turn, NYC & Company have filed a counterclaim asking that the infringement complaint be dismissed. This could go on forever...but experts say it will likely be resolved in 9 months. The next step is to survey people's reaction to the new logo, to see whether Apple's complaint can hold up.
Apple (who have planted their seed all over town) is saying that the logo used by the city will "seriously injure the reputation which [Apple] has established for its goods and services."
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It's always funny to hear about Apple or Microsoft complaining about copyright infringement or anything similar since both have stolen work from each other and everyone else around them and branded it with their logos.
Uh. It's an apple. It looks nothing like the Apple logo.
C'mon, that's not copyright infringement. The two apples are drawn in two completely different styles.
agree w/ [2] and [3]. I like Apple Computers and all but sometimes you really get this "Man, really, get over yourself" feeling about that company.
Also, can anyone play devil's advocate and tell me HOW the logo will "seriously injure the reputation which [Apple] has established for its goods and services."?????
I'm stumped.
Totally different logos. Mac thinks they can copyright the apple or something? We were the goddam Big Apple before Apple was a glimmer in Steve Jobs' eye.
This Apple suit reeks of frivolity.
made no connection between the logos.
So are we never supposed to draw an apple because it's copyrighted?
This is just like the time Spike Lee tried to sue Spike TV because they used the word "Spike".
Agreed. I THINK the logos are very very DIFFERENT.
And did Apple Records and Apple Computers just settle their lawsuit which was pretty much over the same exact thing?
I don't like the logo. It makes NYC look like a buch of smug pussies.
Oh, come on. I can't see how Apple Inc. has the right to the idea of an apple as a logo. Their specific logo, sure. But this NYC one looks absolutely nothing like Apple's...
This is another step taken by Apple becoming more "corporate" and less "hip". I hope the dumb impressionable hipsters/artists will boycott Apple knowing that it's as profit and image driven as MSFT.
Its a combo of The Big Apple and the recycling arrows, clearly not a rip-off of Apple Computer.
Microsoft should rebrand the Zune as a Crapple to at least get some mileage out of the product tho.
"Uh. It's an apple. It looks nothing like the Apple logo."
Agreed.
Despite all the semblance of cool, Apple are corporate PIGS.
I know. I live across from the Apple store, and they are the worst neighbors in SoHo.
Garbage, noise, construction on the sidewalk at 2 am, work without permits, lying to city officials by claiming they had the permits, cheap and stingy toward contributing to any civic improvement groups, phony parking permits used by their security guards, etc, etc.
They make Gates seem like a saint.
This is a trademark infringement case, not a copyright infringement. The two are very different. The owner of a trademark, as I understand it, has to vigorously protect that trademark otherwise anyone can start to use it. So, even though there are only superficial similarities between the two logos, Apple has little choice but to call out the city.
Now, if someone would only sue NYC and Company for that ugly, bloated and amateurish NYC they have adopted.
"think litigious"
"And did Apple Records and Apple Computers just settle their lawsuit which was pretty much over the same exact thing?"
Not really. Apple Records (Apple Corps) and Apple Computers had an agreement that Records thought was being broken by Computers product iTunes.
Anyway, I doubt Apple Computers is really concerned about their brand, etc. It's all lawyer crap. There is a ridiculous part of trademark law that has been interpreted to say that if you don't vigorously defend your trademark against all infringement, then you are implicitly giving up your trademark rights. So now these corporations have attack dog lawyers scouring every piece of media for every little possible infringement.
It was The Big Apple long before the Soho flagship store opened in The Big Apple.
this is silly it looks nothing like apples logo. The bird looks stupid
but they should be laughed at. I like therer products and am comfortably typing this on an iphone heading to work on 66th st but this is absurd. Soon they will take apples off supermarket shelves.
they did just settle a lawsuit that Apple computers was infringing on Apple records (think Beatles), resolved in Feb 2007. This suit is pretty stupid since if Apple wins they will only get themselves into trouble with the Beatles again.
This is silly.
Are they going to sue these guys, too?
http://www.greenapplemap.org/
They've been around for 15 years.
blablanyc, you just made my day. Thanks.
@the facts: Gates is a saint. Regardless of people's opinions about Microsoft, it is hard to take issue with the actions of the Gates Foundation.
I could care less about the PC vs. Mac/Microsoft vs. Apple debate, but it is ridiculous to think that actions like this are the ones that are moving Apple to be more profit-driven...they are a publicly held company, and shareholders in general still prioritize profits over all other measures of shareholder return.
Personally, I like the NY logo...I don't know if the incorporation of the infinity symbol is conveying a sense of cyclicality to the notion of creation, use, and disposal on purpose, but it works for me. Being environmentally responsible is probably something that needs to be integrated into our culture rather than being just a short term hot topic of discussion.
To make matters worse, Woody Allen is suing because it looks like his apple...
Apple has been corporate for a long time. People who think otherwise are fooling themselves.
This lawsuit is absurd, by the way.
"'Uh. It's an apple. It looks nothing like the Apple logo.'
Agreed."
==
Hey I got quoted! I love to get quoted. Thanks Janelle.
But now I'm suing you for using my quote without permission. PWNED!
This is one argument Apple isn't going to win.
They shouldn't, anyway.
Way to go Apple. Are you purposely trying to kill the good will that you have worked so long to build up? If you are looking to lose new customers, this is the perfect way to do it. What the hell, it is not even close to your logo.
i can't wait till mother nature steps to the plate and sues the shit out of steve jobs...
WHOOP_ASS!
I thought it looks more like the Sharp Mebius logo... SOmeone should get onto their legal department!
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=sharp%20mebius&sp=1&fr2=sp-top&y=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=sfp&x=wrt&js=1&ni=21&ei=UTF-8&SpellState=n-3989613353_q-DJ5U7RQC5WuQGzPQ4LI1UwAAAA@@
i can't wait for apple to claim it owns mother nature in the future. no more apples from farmers etc...
There's no resemblance whatsoever -- the NYC apple is hollowed out, where worms have eaten out the innards, and the Apple Computer logo has a chunk out of it where the lawyers took their bite. Oh, wait... they're exactly the same...
NYC needs a backup plan.
"Think greenycent."
Suck on them apples, Steve.