Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, Bad Apple
Apple is apparently getting hot and bothered over Australian/New Zealand supermarket chain Woolworths‘ new logo. Woolworths insists the logo is merely a stylized “W,” but Apple’s copyright lawyers aren’t buying it. They’re trying to knock down Woolworths’ copyright application for the logo by claiming it violates Apple’s intellectual property.
Apparently, according to trademark lawyer Trevor Choy, Apple does this fairly often, trying to make sure that some other company’s branding can’t be mistaken for its iconic logo.
I’ll admit that at first glance the logos look similar (to me, anyway – my ex-graphic designer wife doesn’t agree). Even so, it seems kind of a stretch to assume anyone is going to confuse Woolworths, a supermarket chain based only in Australia and New Zealand that mostly sells, you know, food, with Apple, a worldwide company that sells computers. Trust me, I shop at the Woolworths here in Palmerston North every week; it’s a decent grocer, but nobody’s going to wander in there looking for a MacBook Pro.
What do you think? Does Apple have a case here? Or is it sort of ridiculous for Apple to claim that anything roundish with a leaf on top endangers its trademark? Sound off in the comments.
TUAWApple versus Woolworths: logo smackdown originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
