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Trademark

by Zachary Knight

Thu, Sep 13th 2012 11:37am




Filed Under:
apple, grocery store, logos, poland, trademark

Companies:
apple


Feeling Threatened By Online Grocery Store, Apple Challenges Polish Site A.pl

from the comparing-apples-to-a.pl's dept

Apple is very protective of its Apple name and logo trademarks. We have noted in the past that it seems to think that no company can use a logo that even remotely resembles an apple. So it really should be no surprise to learn that Apple is going on the offensive, double time, in order to stop a Polish online grocery store from receiving a trademark for A.pl.
"Apple brand is widely recognised and the company says that A.pl, by using the name that sounds similar, is using Apple's reputation," patent office spokesman Adam Taukert said.
There also seems to be a dispute over a logo trademark sought by A.pl for its site Fresh24.pl. You can see the logo in question below.
Or how about this side by side comparison:
Last time I checked, Apple had no business endeavors in online grocery sales, so it would seem to be a stretch to think that consumers would be confused and think that A.pl was an offering by the electronics company. Additionally, A.pl and Fresh24.pl seem to be regional and limited to Poland at this time. So there would be limited harm if any to Apple's global brand. In the end, this just ends up looking like a bunch of trademark lawyers on Apple's payroll looking to keep busy and gain billable hours.

29 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  •  
    icon
    Ninja (profile), Sep 13th, 2012 @ 10:25am

    Free publicity to the grocery stores as they gave to Samsung?

     

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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 11:47am

    why doesn't Apple get the fuck out, grow the fuck up and leave innocent people (and companies) alone. how can anyone in the remotest realms of idiocy mistake the 2 symbols or the logo? i had hoped that things would ease a bit after Jobs passed, God rest him, but it seems the prick they have in charge now is a damn sight worse! what an aggressive little shit he is!

     

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  •  
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    Kevin H (profile), Sep 13th, 2012 @ 11:51am

    Lets get the rumors started early

    iOS 7.0 obviously will have an added grocery store among its music and movie selections. Soon from your iPhone you will be able to select and purchase a wide variety of common household items and produce directly from your phone. A new service called the iherb (rumored 9.99/month) will even allow you to smell how fresh the basil is.

     

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    •  
      icon
      That Anonymous Coward (profile), Sep 14th, 2012 @ 5:16am

      Re: Lets get the rumors started early

      I sometimes wonder if herb is the cause of many of their lawsuits.

       

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      •  
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        art guerrilla (profile), Sep 14th, 2012 @ 12:06pm

        Re: Re: Lets get the rumors started early

        the kind ?
        i don't think so, i have, um, extensive experience with the gentle herb, and i've never sued anyone...

        if anything, its the coke that is infusing the masters of the universe with invulnerable and entitled feelings... plus, when you are coked up, don't you have to do *something*, *anything* ? ? ?
        not like it makes you more laid back...

        art guerrilla
        aka ann archy
        eof

         

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      •  
        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, Sep 14th, 2012 @ 3:29pm

        Re: Re: Lets get the rumors started early

        I'm not Herb!
        (Remember that one?)

         

        [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  •  
    identicon
    Nigel, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 11:53am

    It only gets worse

    I just stumbled across this gem..

    Apple has patented a piece of technology which would allow government and police to block transmission of information, including video and photographs, from any public gathering or venue they deem “sensitive”, and “protected from externalities.”

    ­In other words, these powers will have control over what can and cannot be documented on wireless devices during any public event.

    http://rt.com/news/apple-patent-transmission-block-408/

    Not a good week for sanity.

    Nigel

     

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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 11:55am

    I went to A.pl to buy an iPod, but instead they sent me a damn pod of peas. I wondered why it only cost me $2.99.

     

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  •  
    identicon
    Larry, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 12:05pm

    No huh?

    So, I guess that Polish iphone owners won't be able to download the A.pl app and shop online then?

     

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  •  
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    droozilla (profile), Sep 13th, 2012 @ 12:08pm

    Dear Apple,

    Get fucked.

    Love, everyone

     

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  •  
    identicon
    quawonk, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 12:24pm

    In other news, Apple is suing all apple trees grown after 1976 for trademark violation.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  •  
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    Lowestofthekeys (profile), Sep 13th, 2012 @ 12:28pm

    It wasn't farming that destroyed the biodiversity of the apple plant species....

    It was Apple.

    They've declared war on nature!

     

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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 12:37pm

    They're just jealous because the store logo's apple is fresh and not bitten.

     

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  •  
    identicon
    monkyyy, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 12:42pm

    "Last time I checked, Apple had no business endeavors in online grocery sales,"



    u havnt heard of ifood yet?

     

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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 12:54pm

    Apple gave me stale groceries! Don't buy their iPhones!

     

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  •  
    identicon
    OC, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 1:07pm

    So they think Apple products are as valuable as groceries? If not, how could we possibly confuse them?

     

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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 1:08pm

    kurwa.

     

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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 13th, 2012 @ 2:21pm

    I've wondered for awhile now how the itunes store would of affected the Apple Records v Apple Computers trademark case?

     

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  •  
    icon
    Josef Anvil (profile), Sep 13th, 2012 @ 2:29pm

    Note left by Steve Jobs...

    iApologize

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  •  
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    orbitalinsertion (profile), Sep 13th, 2012 @ 3:25pm

    Someone resurrect a zombie Apple Music label and re-sue Apple Computers, just for teh lulz.

     

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  •  
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    orbitalinsertion (profile), Sep 13th, 2012 @ 3:29pm

    Submit too soon much?

    Anyway,
    "Apple brand is widely recognised and the company says that A.pl, by using the name that sounds similar, is using Apple's reputation," patent office spokesman Adam Taukert said. therefore, no one can tell the difference between the Apple brand and anything else remotely resembling an apple or the word apple.


    Srsly, that's how it works. In Zippy Universe.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  •  
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    Manok (profile), Sep 14th, 2012 @ 3:34am

    But when Apple was small, and they did not have any music business, they were sued over the Apple name by the Beatles. The agreement made was that Apple was allowed to use the name, but could not enter the music business. They did anyway, but they were so big by that time that, well, who could stop them?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  •  
    identicon
    Iain Robertson, Oct 13th, 2012 @ 6:02am

    Apple vs A.PL

    I wonder if Apple have ever thought about legal action against anyone who uses the abbreviation APL or anything similar? This would include Kenneth Iverson,who created the APL programming language, back in 1962 apparently, well before Apple was even a twinkle in Messrs Jobs' and Wozniak's eyes, and many other things as well....(you'll find a list at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apl) couldn't they just drop all this 'tit-for-tat' on trademarks and patents which is only good for the lawyers making money?)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]


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