Apple vs. NYC: What's really going on
By Nilay Patel 
posted April 3rd 2008 1:01PM
posted April 3rd 2008 1:01PM
Unlike all those previous Apple trademark disputes, this isn't a true lawsuit, and Apple hasn't sued anyone -- the city of New York has filed a trademark application for the GreeNYC apple-shaped logo with the Patent and Trademark Office, and Apple has filed its opposition to that application. That's an important part of the trademark registration process, actually: every single trademark application has to go through a 30-day opposition period during which interested third parties can raise their objections. We'd say it's pretty obvious that Apple's got an interest in other apple-shaped trademarks, so it's not particularly surprising that it's taking the first available opportunity to speak up about this one.
After the trademark applicant responds to the objection in writing (what some people have been wrongly calling NYC's "counterclaim"), the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board gathers evidence and makes a decision. We'd almost be willing to bet that never happens, though -- after all the lawyers are done strutting around and promising victory, it's likely that Apple and NYC simply come to an amicable licensing agreement. Bottom line? This is exactly how the system is supposed to work, and Apple is just protecting its billion-dollar brand as best it can -- thousands of these oppositions are filed by all sorts of companies each year. We know, not very fun at all -- anyone care to start a Jobs vs. Bloomberg slapboxing petition?
Disclaimer: Nilay's a lawyer and a formidable slapboxer, but he's not your lawyer, and none of this is legal advice or analysis.
I think the new NY logo is really nice and it doesn't look too much like the Apple logo. Being a designer and having to do many logo's. I think the NYC logo is very successful, first of all, there is a "stem" and the leaf is going in the opposite direction than the Apple logo. I find the NYC logo very elegant looking, and it also looks like the letter "n".
What they can do to make themselves stand out more than the Mas logo would be to add a fine delicate and elegant "tail" on the right side to make it look like a "y". Then the logo will look like it says "NY". But, they should make the tail a paler green, so that you can see it, but it doesn't make the logo change completely. It will be a nice and subtle change. Then blend the color of the"n" and the color of the tail of the "y" so that it makes a nice transition.
I'm going to fully agree with Dan S.' post about how Apple Corp was right to make their objection. (His first post)
Besides that, it's a trademarked logo. NYC could be well known as the "Big Apple", but it didn't trademark any Apple-looking logo before Apple Corp, did it. If NYC had trademarked an apple logo, then Apple Corp would have had to go through the process of NYC's objection when it tried to make an apple logo of its own.
This is absolutely fair and just. Insulting/boycotting Apple for looking out for itself is stupid. It's not suing. It probably won't sue. The logos are clearly different, for one. Also, what corporation wants to be known as making a public charge against a city that is only trying to promote itself as Globally greener?
Try to make a logo that looks similar to Microsoft's and say it's to promote something like Breast Cancer research. They still have the right to make an objection.
Good Thermos14. And the rest of the world that DOES buy Apple stuff will laugh at your newest "gadgets"......
NYC's logo looks like an ass (an infinite looped ass, but an ass nonetheless).
If everyone would stop the hystrionics over a stupid filing they could write about important matters....there's a war going on and poverty everywhere.
Hmmmm I always though NYC was the rotten apple lol.
NYC has always had a bad rep out west we reffer to them as "The Rotten Apple".
I don't see that this is a big deal. Apple is protecting itself, NYC is protecting itself. That's the way it's supposed to work. It's not like when Dairy Queen stole, lock stock and barrel, the concept of the "Blizzard" from a mom-n-pop ice cream parlor in Bloomington, IN, by bullying them into submission with an expensive lawsuit and corporate muscle. Now that was just plain dirty.
The Big Apple has been around longer than this electronics firm. The Green Apple that New York has is not even close to the bitten thing that this electronics firm has. Fact is you can only draw an apple in so many ways til it no longer resembles an apple. So what is next? Does this electronics firm go after a grocer if he should advertise apples in a newspaper with a photo or image of an apple? Wonder what Apple thinks about Apple Records or the belief that man was expelled from Eden because someone ate an apple?
I am quite certain that New York City could not care less about what you think of it.
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