Comments on: Apple vs. the Big Apple

By: Raj

Raj — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:55:34 +0000

I use Apple computers and have for years after getting fed up with PCs. I definitely favor the OS more than any other because of it’s simplicity and reliability. I like them, but I’m not about to paste their logo everywhere and start wearing black long-sleeved shirts with jeans. When Apple does crap like going after NY (or the Beatles’ label) I just shake my head. Nobody’s going to mistake that GreeNYC for a computer, and selling that fruit in grocery stores is not going to ‘confuse the consumer’. Pulleeze. Stop being so petty.

By: liphttam1

liphttam1 — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:38:31 +0000

this is why I love the pc

pc’s are awsome
pc’s are great
i love pc’s
id take em on a date
GOOOOOO!!!! PC!!! yay

wow that was spontainios and fun lol XD

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:55:07 +0000

It’s actually a trademark issue – not a copyright one.

When you apply for a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark office, new applications are published by the office for public comment (i.e. to give trademark holders opportunity to peruse new applications to see if there are anything that may conflict).

Because a company doesn’t normally want to spend its time watching the list, they contract services that specialize in doing so. Naturally, to justify their expenses, these services pounce on ANYTHING that resembles – or potentially resembles – the trademark they’re paid to watch.

A trademark lawyer’s bread and butter is to rebut new trademark applications on behalf of their clients (about 0.5 hours worth of work cutting and pasting a letter from their repertoire of past letters, and they bill for 7 hours) – they submit letters to the USPTO, which will then decide whether to grant the applicant the trademark or not.

How do I know this? I’ve trademarked stuff in the past – with a lawyer and by myself

By: SenorMysterioso

SenorMysterioso — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:01:57 +0000

Im a mac loyalist but this is ridiculous.

Next – Apple sues Adam and Eve, Isaac Newton and Johnny Appleseed for copyright infringement.

By: snackcakes

snackcakes — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:27:36 +0000

this is a shame, I hate to see this sort of thing distracting from the quality of interface and culture they have cultivated.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:15:46 +0000

Q: What’s brown and black and looks good on an Apple Legal Rep?
A: A doberman.

Another example of Apple’s legal arm tarnishing the reputation of the rest of the organization.

By: Viola

Viola — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:25:29 +0000

Hey, Apple… Did you know trees are now *growing* your logo? How dare they infringe upon your copyright! I suggest getting that taken care of immediately.

By: JamesM

JamesM — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:23:56 +0000

Between this, Leopard blue screening after install, their OS being the ONLY system to be compromised out of the box (and fully patched) at Pwn to Own and the case with their LCD spec fraud… Apple is already well underway to becoming the next Microsoft.

By: adriano518

adriano518 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:31:03 +0000

dont even look remotly similar

By: caitlin13

caitlin13 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:09:43 +0000

I’ve read the comments posted here and on Wired, and there is a serious shift in opinion. I was really annoyed with humanity after reading the comments here but I’m happy to see some common sense displayed on Wired.

By: sigh

sigh — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:52:43 +0000

Next they’ll copyright the letter “i” since it’s in front of every darn thing they make now.

By: caitlin13

caitlin13 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:10:41 +0000

Jeez what a bunch of pissed off people. It’s just business, jesus christ.

By: phoenix

phoenix — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:03:17 +0000

I love me some Apple, but damn – really? Seriously Apple?

Honestly.

By: ted

ted — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:13:57 +0000

Maybe Nissan should sue New York – looks like an infinity sign to me. Sounds like their Infiniti to me.

By: SB

SB — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:13:32 +0000

I am so sick of companies copyrighting basic common words and phrases that people use everyday. I design t-shirts and there are certain ordinary words like caution and cutie pie that you can’t use because someone has copyrighted them. It’s so annoying. I totally get coming with a brand new word like snogglebuzz and copyrighting that, but the word caution? You should not be able to copyright that.

Also when is Apple going to sue Gwenith Paltrow for naming her kid Apple? Since they so obviously own the word apple.

By: DrJones

DrJones — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:00:03 +0000

Mmm, maybe Apple should take a long look at their logo and come up with something more creative! :p

By: su.wei

su.wei — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:56:46 +0000

oh come on! there are enough apples in the world for everyone.

By: CheeseDuck

CheeseDuck — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:31:30 +0000

Wow. Why not just sue everything with “apple” in it while you’re at it!

By: Sofar

Sofar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:27:11 +0000

Apple Inc. should try hard to remember all the copyright infringement grief they got from Apple Records back in the day.

By: gmsc

gmsc — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:29:00 +0000

To me, it looks like a half-apple. If anybody should be suing, it should be Apple records, not Apple, Inc..

I think the case would end rather quickly once it gets to court. The defendants should simply call up a member of Apple, Inc.’s legal team and say, “I’m sure we’ll all agree that one of the most distinguishing marks of Apple, Inc.’s logo is the bite out of the Apple. Would you please point to the bite out of the NYC/Whole Foods apple deptiction? What’s that? You can’t?”

By: Tony LaRocca

Tony LaRocca — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:21:57 +0000

Funny, I didn’t know you could copyright a fruit. What was it Shakespeare said about lawyers…

By: sigh

sigh — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:19:27 +0000

Wow, no matter what happens, if Apple ever makes anything with the word “big” in it, NYC should go after Apple.

I guess I just don’t understand why companies are getting so stupid about their “copyrights” while they completely dash their company reputation.

And I don’t think very many people would confuse the NYC logo with Apple computer’s logo. NYC’s doesn’t even have a bite mark.

By: JoBo S

JoBo S — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:56:50 +0000

make….the….maddness….STOP!

By: Dave9

Dave9 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:50:45 +0000

The Apple Corps vs Apple Computer case was about an old agreement they made back in the 70′s where Apple Comp promised not to be involved in anything that would seem like they were selling or making music, and this was to prevent confusion about the name and logo. Then came iTunes…

By: Taylor

Taylor — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:48:22 +0000

whoops keyboard malfunction.
…Anyway, its only a matter of time before we start suing produce. Guard your oranges, people.

By: Taylor

Taylor — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:47:07 +0000

Its only a matter of time before we start suin

By: probinu

probinu — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:46:01 +0000

didn’t some celebrity name their kid apple? They should be sued also.

By: Deanie

Deanie — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:17:04 +0000

NYC has been The Big Apple since at least the 1920′s. Watch a few very old movies. It was probably The Big Apple before movies were invented!

Sheesh!

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:38:04 +0000

tarded

By: graffiksguru

graffiksguru — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:10:33 +0000

I can’t tell the difference, they look the same to me.

/sarcasm

By: fsmarch

fsmarch — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:49:33 +0000

Heck! New York City has been known as The Big Apple since the late 1960′s. Apple computer has some nerve!

By: DrJones

DrJones — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:43:20 +0000

The NYC logo looks a bit more like a sideways “8,” so maybe the number 8 should sue NYC?

I think the best solution would be for one of the parties involved to change their logo to something neutral, original and creative, like a banana or an artichoke. Just don’t create the design on a Mac, or you will be sued for using Apple’s creative mojo with the intent of using said mojo to “seriously injure [their] reputation.”

By: kuanes

kuanes — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:41:44 +0000

@mjgolli and Miss Cellania – didn’t you read my “FIRST!” comment?

it’s the whole point of how f-ing two-faced Apple is to fight Apple Records’ claims of copyright infringement (which i support…the fight), yet turn around and pull some B.S. like that.

i can’t even think of a word for it right now, it angers me so.

self-righteous hypocrites does come to mind, though…

By: probinu

probinu — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:28:33 +0000

Funny how if this were Microsoft then this would headline every blog on the planet. Now that I think about it, NYC does have many buildings, and those buildings have windows, that is blatant trademark infringement.

By: probinu

probinu — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:26:52 +0000

but I am so inspired, the logo makes me want to be more creative…. wait, wrong story.

By: Whitney

Whitney — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:22:12 +0000

Apple needs to get over themselves. The logos look nothing alike. Only a complete moron would get confused. I think actual apples should sue Apple! HA!

By: stacyj

stacyj — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:53:56 +0000

Yeah, I can see how Apple’s reputation could be “seriously injured” by inadvertent association with an organization dedicated towards bettering the environment; who among us -doesn’t- get worked up into a frothy rage at the thought of clean air or unpolluted water?

By: luke

luke — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:31:13 +0000

What was apple thinking? They don’t look anything alike.

By: Retrokatze

Retrokatze — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:24:54 +0000

Don’t they have better things to do? Like improving their tech support?!

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:10:05 +0000

mjgoli, Apple Corps sued Apple Inc. a few years ago… and lost.

By: mjgolli

mjgolli — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:06:49 +0000

Oy vay! Is the Beatles’ label Apple Corps going to sue as well? How can one confuse a hand-drawn apple and a name like GreenNYC with the stylized apple of Apple Computer? Sheesh!

NYC was the Big Apple way before Apple Computer was a gleam in its daddy’s eye.

By: sparge

sparge — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:59:42 +0000

Recoculous

By: Tempscire

Tempscire — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:58:00 +0000

Respect for Apple…dropping…

By: David Larsen

David Larsen — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:29:09 +0000

I will dedicate every Apple Fanboi I kill today to the ideals of NYC. Too bad their bodies won’t be found. Ever.

By: xander

xander — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:26:44 +0000

I guess they’re operating under the principle of “any publicity is good publicity.” Apple’s is a silly argument.

By: kuanes

kuanes — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:13:41 +0000

Apple sure does have some balls, considering the whole thing they went through with the Beatles/Apple Records.

Makes me hate them just a bit more…