Feeling Threatened By Online Grocery Store, Apple Challenges Polish Site A.pl

from the comparing-apples-to-a.pl's dept

Thu, Sep 13th 2012 11:37am — Zachary Knight

Apple is very protective of its Apple name and logo trademarks. We have noted in the past that it seems to think that no company can use a logo that even remotely resembles an apple. So it really should be no surprise to learn that Apple is going on the offensive, double time, in order to stop a Polish online grocery store from receiving a trademark for A.pl.

"Apple brand is widely recognised and the company says that A.pl, by using the name that sounds similar, is using Apple's reputation," patent office spokesman Adam Taukert said.

There also seems to be a dispute over a logo trademark sought by A.pl for its site Fresh24.pl. You can see the logo in question below.

Or how about this side by side comparison:

Last time I checked, Apple had no business endeavors in online grocery sales, so it would seem to be a stretch to think that consumers would be confused and think that A.pl was an offering by the electronics company. Additionally, A.pl and Fresh24.pl seem to be regional and limited to Poland at this time. So there would be limited harm if any to Apple's global brand. In the end, this just ends up looking like a bunch of trademark lawyers on Apple's payroll looking to keep busy and gain billable hours.

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Filed Under: apple, grocery store, logos, poland, trademark
Companies: apple

32 Comments

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Ninja (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 10:25am

Free publicity to the grocery stores as they gave to Samsung?
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Sep 2012 @ 11:47am

why doesn't Apple get the fuck out, grow the fuck up and leave innocent people (and companies) alone. how can anyone in the remotest realms of idiocy mistake the 2 symbols or the logo? i had hoped that things would ease a bit after Jobs passed, God rest him, but it seems the prick they have in charge now is a damn sight worse! what an aggressive little shit he is!
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Kevin H (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 11:51am

Lets get the rumors started early
iOS 7.0 obviously will have an added grocery store among its music and movie selections. Soon from your iPhone you will be able to select and purchase a wide variety of common household items and produce directly from your phone. A new service called the iherb (rumored 9.99/month) will even allow you to smell how fresh the basil is.
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- That Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Sep 2012 @ 5:16am
  
  Re: Lets get the rumors started early
  I sometimes wonder if herb is the cause of many of their lawsuits.
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  - art guerrilla (profile), 14 Sep 2012 @ 12:06pm
    
    Re: Re: Lets get the rumors started early
    the kind ?
    i don't think so, i have, um, extensive experience with the gentle herb, and i've never sued anyone...
    
    if anything, its the coke that is infusing the masters of the universe with invulnerable and entitled feelings... plus, when you are coked up, don't you have to do *something*, *anything* ? ? ?
    not like it makes you more laid back...
    
    art guerrilla
    aka ann archy
    eof
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  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2012 @ 3:29pm
    
    Re: Re: Lets get the rumors started early
    I'm not Herb!
    (Remember that one?)
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Nigel (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 11:53am

It only gets worse
I just stumbled across this gem..

Apple has patented a piece of technology which would allow government and police to block transmission of information, including video and photographs, from any public gathering or venue they deem �sensitive�, and �protected from externalities.�

�In other words, these powers will have control over what can and cannot be documented on wireless devices during any public event.

http://rt.com/news/apple-patent-transmission-block-408/

Not a good week for sanity.

Nigel
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Sep 2012 @ 11:55am

I went to A.pl to buy an iPod, but instead they sent me a damn pod of peas. I wondered why it only cost me $2.99.
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- gnudist, 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:01pm
  
  Re:
  iCheeseburger
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- Anonymous Coward, 13 Sep 2012 @ 2:50pm
  
  Re:
  What's next? Will Apple be going after Apl.de.ap from The Black Eyed Peas?
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Larry, 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:05pm

No huh?
So, I guess that Polish iphone owners won't be able to download the A.pl app and shop online then?
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droozilla (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:08pm

Dear Apple,

Get fucked.

Love, everyone
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- :Lobo Santo (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:29pm
  
  Re: :-(
  Sadly, there exists no phallus of sufficient size to probe Apples anal orifice in any meaningful sexual way.
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  - Some Other AC (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 2:32pm
    
    Re: Re: :-(
    I was thinking maybe Willis Tower or that monstrosity built over in Kuala Lumpur, Petronas Twin Towers. I would think either would be large enough!
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  - Kevin H (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 4:22pm
    
    Re: Re: :-(
    Nah, They are so uptight if they swallowed a quarter they would shit two dimes and a nickel.
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    - MrWilson, 13 Sep 2012 @ 7:54pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: :-(
      No, probably just a nickel. They have to keep some profit after all.
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quawonk, 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:24pm

In other news, Apple is suing all apple trees grown after 1976 for trademark violation.
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Lowestofthekeys (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:28pm

It wasn't farming that destroyed the biodiversity of the apple plant species....

It was Apple.

They've declared war on nature!
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:37pm

They're just jealous because the store logo's apple is fresh and not bitten.
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monkyyy, 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:42pm

"Last time I checked, Apple had no business endeavors in online grocery sales,"

u havnt heard of ifood yet?
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Sep 2012 @ 12:54pm

Apple gave me stale groceries! Don't buy their iPhones!
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OC, 13 Sep 2012 @ 1:07pm

So they think Apple products are as valuable as groceries? If not, how could we possibly confuse them?
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Sep 2012 @ 1:08pm

kurwa.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Sep 2012 @ 2:21pm

I've wondered for awhile now how the itunes store would of affected the Apple Records v Apple Computers trademark case?
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Josef Anvil (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 2:29pm

Note left by Steve Jobs...
iApologize
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orbitalinsertion (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 3:25pm

Someone resurrect a zombie Apple Music label and re-sue Apple Computers, just for teh lulz.
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orbitalinsertion (profile), 13 Sep 2012 @ 3:29pm

Submit too soon much?

Anyway,

"Apple brand is widely recognised and the company says that A.pl, by using the name that sounds similar, is using Apple's reputation," patent office spokesman Adam Taukert said. therefore, no one can tell the difference between the Apple brand and anything else remotely resembling an apple or the word apple.

Srsly, that's how it works. In Zippy Universe.
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Manok (profile), 14 Sep 2012 @ 3:34am

But when Apple was small, and they did not have any music business, they were sued over the Apple name by the Beatles. The agreement made was that Apple was allowed to use the name, but could not enter the music business. They did anyway, but they were so big by that time that, well, who could stop them?
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Iain Robertson, 13 Oct 2012 @ 6:02am

Apple vs A.PL
I wonder if Apple have ever thought about legal action against anyone who uses the abbreviation APL or anything similar? This would include Kenneth Iverson,who created the APL programming language, back in 1962 apparently, well before Apple was even a twinkle in Messrs Jobs' and Wozniak's eyes, and many other things as well....(you'll find a list at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apl) couldn't they just drop all this 'tit-for-tat' on trademarks and patents which is only good for the lawyers making money?)
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maha, 22 Nov 2015 @ 10:41pm

Any one share good online shopping website for grocery. i want some list for Online Grocery Chennai Shopping Website.
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Parasuram, 15 Dec 2015 @ 1:23am

grocery
Thanks for sharing valuable information about Online Grocery Chennai.
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sreevidhya, 22 Dec 2015 @ 1:52am

buy grocery online
Thank you for the useful information. < a href = "http://japast.com/"> online grocery shopping .
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