Apple Sues A School (ridiculous)

[Sir Pimpalot 0]

Apple is suing Victoria School of Business and Technology because they supposedly ripped off their logo. Am I the only one who thinks they look nothing alike, aside from being apples? :/

Apple's logo:

VSBT's logo:

Source

[yorkey 0]

Yeah I agree, I voted No. VSBT's logo has different colors and shades while Apple's is always just one color. There's not even a bite in the apple!

[schmrom 0]

Definitely not. They are really different.

[Suzumushi 0]

Yah.

Pretty ridiculous.

[Jeter2Fan93 0]

Why, because students will go to school expecting to buy a computer and instead get pissed because they have to learn? Come on, Apple.

[Ant103 0]

Hmmm, in the same thing, there is in France a car location company that have this logo…

Close to Finder icon, isnt'it?

[Phoshi 0]

VOTE: Pimpy4NewsPoster08

Also, what the ****, apple?

[metallicamaster3 0]

VOTE: Pimpy4NewsPoster08

Like I told him, he should try to join our team

[SirSmiley 0]

I first read this article last week and I can't vote on the question because it isn't specific enough.

The school knew what they were doing and are obviously piggy backing off of the visual recognition of Apple's logo. Say you were driving down the street and just a caught a peripheral view of the school's logo then you most likely would look again because of your familiarity with the Apple logo.

Also, what does the Apple directly have to do with their school...nothing. It's a tech school and they know who their target market is. There are probably lot's of non-tech companies and farms out there with logos with apples in them that are left alone.

If I go out there and start a hamgurger joint called Murray's and use a big golden "M" do you think that's right?

How about my Jim Norton's donut store I want to start, not to mention my Jimbits?

[SbuxBlaze 0]

It's ridiculous, it's obviously different than the apple logo. And so what, even if you look at it and think of apple, its not just a plain apple, the shapes different and theres a mountain inside it

[Sir Pimpalot 0]

I first read this article last week and I can't vote on the question because it isn't specific enough.

How much more specific can it possibly get?

The school knew what they were doing and are obviously piggy backing off of the visual recognition of Apple's logo.

Sorry, but this makes me rofl.

Say you were driving down the street and just a caught a peripheral view of the school's logo then you most likely would look again because of your familiarity with the Apple logo.

No I wouldn't, and even if I did it would not be enough to justify a lawsuit because when I saw it I would realize that it was not an Apple Store. By that logic McDonald's should be allowed to sue Burger King because somebody might see a burger joint in the corner of their eye and assume it's McDonald's, only to find out that it's actually Burger King.

Most elementary schools I see have an apple logo somewhere close bye, but I don't rush inside expecting to buy a Macintosh. You act as though Goddy-boy Steve Jobs created the apple, because being apples are the only thing the two logos have in common.

Also, what does the Apple directly have to do with their school...nothing. It's a tech school and they know who their target market is. There are probably lot's of non-tech companies and farms out there with logos with apples in them that are left alone.

"Nothing"? They're a marketing school for Christ's sake. Apple Inc is not a school. The apple is a common icon for education and there's a line chart in the middle of it, as well as the school's acronym. Even so, the design of the apple itself is not similar to Apple Inc's apple. The shape is different and it has a color pattern, detail, and depth. Apple Inc's is black and flat.

If I go out there and start a hamgurger joint called Murray's and use a big golden "M" do you think that's right?

No I wouldn't, and your comparison is completely irrelevant to this. McDonald's is a burger joint that uses a golden M. VSBT is not a consumer electronics/software vendor and does not use a black apple with a bite taken out of it. Even if people DID somehow mistake it for an Apple Store it would not be harming Apple or helping VSBT.

[Church Punk 0]

market differentiation and positioning.

totally diferent markets, and the strategy apple uses for positioning is clear; however, it can be easily taken from alike logos, thats the issue from this i believe.

[rjohnstone 0]

The apple (the fruit, not the company) has been synonymous with schools and education far longer than Apple (the company) has been in existence.

Although Apple has a trademark for the NAME "Apple" under and educational registration, I hardly think this would qualify as infringement.

Why isn't Apple going after these guys...

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=7057d6.3.2

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=7057d6.3.9

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=7057d6.6.10

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc...te=7057d6.6.164

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc...te=7057d6.6.516

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc...te=7057d6.6.588

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc...te=7057d6.6.599

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc...te=7057d6.6.764

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc...te=7057d6.6.967

There's many more.

The current Apple logo is not a registered trademark either. Contrary to their website claims, there is no "image" or "logo" registered to Apple Inc. that matches the current logo.

I ran a complete search of the TESS database at the USPTO and only found the name as being registered. If a logo is to be registered, the logo has to be included in the registration.

Here's a complete listing (905) of images with the name Apple in the registration or logo itself.

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=brws...&p_toc=brws_img

Here it is in the iPhone logo, but again... it's not the standalone Apple logo we all know.

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=mdtf2t.4.347

I know it's a Copyrighted image, but it is not a registered trademark.

But this one made me spit out my drink...

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=mdtf2t.4.80

[Sir Pimpalot 0]

Well said, though all of the links have expired.

[iTim 0]

God I hope Apple doesn't become worse than Microsoft.

[The iApple 0]

Oh, yes,yes, the apple logo can be confuse with the school's logo, ONLY IF YOU PASS YOUR ENTIRE LIFE DRUNK AND SEEING BLURY! OMG WTF is happening to apple? Now he's sues everyone!

The school's logo looks more like a pumpkin

[dennisalcayde 0]

Oh, yes,yes, the apple logo can be confuse with the school's logo, ONLY IF YOU PASS YOUR ENTIRE LIFE DRUNK AND SEEING BLURY! OMG WTF is happening to apple? Now he's sues everyone!

The school's logo looks more like a pumpkin

yup, pumpkin hovering mount everest.

[Sir Pimpalot 0]

I think it's a line graph, not a mountain. P:

[rjohnstone 0]

Well said, though all of the links have expired.

Opps, my bad. You have to log into TESS first and then the links will work.

Just do a new user search and then click the links... it should work then.

[The iApple 0]

Hmmm, it's a mountain, the lines are too thick to be a line graph.

[SirSmiley 0]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a mountain too.

Pimp, thanks for the answers. Actually, if it's a marketing school than they should know better. Advertising 101 covers that pretty good.

I'm not defending Apple but, I'm sure there's been a number of demand letters and if the owner of the school truly believes what he says then he will fight it in court, I doubt he will. Either way he's kind of won with the millions of dollars in free publicity he's getting.

[Sir Pimpalot 0]

Meh, I'll just agree to disagree. By the way, did I come off as flameful in my other post? I didn't really mean to, though it sounds pretty assy now that I've re-read it.

[SirSmiley 0]

Nah, didn't sound flameful to me.

Just got back from voting; so, I've got to go cry in the shower.

[rmxy 0]

Apple have shown immature action and that also against a school. They are not at all competitor of apple. May be they are trying to show warning to others by targeting them. Common business policy ...

But logo are totally different ...

[technominds 0]

Either way, their logo is TERRIBLE.

Even we cant make out what it is!

Apple is doing them a favor.

-TM