Apples to Apples

By now everyone knows who Apple is. Just from that sentence alone I am sure the first image that popped into your head was of your phone, headphones, or even laptop and not the fruit. You are probably even reading this blog from an Apple device. There is no question as to the wide influence Apple has on the world, which a lot has to do with its trademark. A trademark is a symbol, word, or word that is legally registered or established by use as representing a specific company or product. Think the Nike swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches.

Currently, Apple is going up against an 11-year-old fruit-farmed organization called Fruit Union Suisse due to the use of its decades-old symbol of a red apple showing the Swiss national flag’s white cross. Apple has been attempting to copyright actual fruit in Switzerland since 2017. According to Wired, only some IP rights were granted to Apple from its long list of Apple-related requests which is seemingly more conservative in granting these in comparison to various other countries such as Japan and Denmark. The confusion here comes from Apple’s desire to control just the mere image of an apple, an apple, rather than just their traditional bitten apple.

Many small and big companies find themselves at an extreme disadvantage when going up against ‘powerhouse’ companies. Many do not realize the type of work that goes into getting a trademark set up or what could happen if you never set up something to be trademarked before someone else does.

Got something you want to be trademarked but are not sure where to begin? Having issues with a trademark you already own or is someone using your mark? Reach out to the Professionals at The Center for Financial, Legal, & Tax Planning Inc., at (618) 997-3436