Apple filed a trademark application for images of actual apple fruit.
The application, Apple filed with the Swiss Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), covers a realistic, black-and-white depiction of a Granny Smith apple.
Apple Wants to Trademark the Actual Apple Fruit
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 28: The Apple company logo hangs above an Apple retail store on November 28, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Apple is currently facing shortages in iPhone supplies due to COVID-19 restrictions in China and unrest at one of Apple's major Chinese suppliers.
Apple is making headlines yet again, but this time for a rather peculiar reason. The tech giant behind the iconic iPhone, iPad, and Mac now seeks to trademark images of actual apple fruit. Yes, the juicy, crunchy fruit represented the cutting-edge firm for several years now.
It is worth noting that the tech juggernaut has been using a stylized Apple logo with a bite since the 1970s. As per Mashable, the Cupertino-based firm applied for the IP right of a black-and-white depiction of a Granny Smith apple at the Swiss IPI last 2017.
In 2022, the Swiss IP institute partially granted the iPhone maker's request since the imagery of the apple fruit is so generic, making it a public domain. But Apple is not backing down. The giant firm reportedly appealed the decision to move forward with their request.
The IPI has not yet ruled on the appeal. As of writing, the case is still ongoing.
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Fruit Union Suisse Might Have to Change Their Logo
The Apple logo is seen on a window of the company's store in Bangkok on February 14, 2021.
According to Wired UK, Switzerland is home to the Fruit Union Suisse, the country's largest and oldest group of farmers, which uses an apple as its logo.
However, as the tech giant is attempting to get its hands on the intellectual property rights of the fruit, the Fruit Union Suisse, which spans more than 100 years, might have to change its logo soon. Fruit Union Suisse director Jimmy Mariéthoz told Wired that they could not seem to comprehend the request of the tech giant to trademark the fruit.
The director says, "We have a hard time understanding this, because [it is] not like [they are] trying to protect their bitten apple." Notably, the logo of the iPhone maker sports a bite on the right side, distinctly representing the tech behemoth.
Mariéthoz further says that Apple's "objective here is really to own the rights to an actual apple." But for the 111-year-old organization, it is "really almost universal," arguing that it "should be free for everyone to use."
Wired notes that the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) records show that Apple is making the same move elsewhere.
The WIPO records disclose that Apple requested to trademark the generic apple fruit in other countries such as Japan, Spain, and Turkey. The tech giant also made similar requests in Armenia and Israel.
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