Apple has always been strict about copyright infringement lawsuits. Let me give you an example from 2020: they sued a Canadian food prep service just because their logo happened to be pear-shaped. Now, their odd crusade has taken a rather unexpected turn as they’re now going after… real apples.
Yes, you heard that right. In Switzerland, Apple is on a mission to secure intellectual property rights for depictions of real apples. If they get their way, they could go after any organization that uses an apple in their branding. For example, Fruit-Union Suisse, a 111-year-old Swiss fruit company, uses a red apple with a Swiss cross as its logo. But now, the company has set its sights on them. Jimmy Mariéthoz, the director of Fruit-Union Suisse, believes that the right to an actual apple should be accessible to everyone. I couldn’t agree more, Jimmy!
This strange saga dates back to 2017 when they initially sought rights for a black-and-white depiction of a Granny Smith apple. However, the Swiss Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) only granted them partial rights, not what they had requested in full. And guess what? Apple is not giving up that easily. They’re now filing an appeal to secure more of their original request. The IPI has kept us in suspense and has yet to disclose what Apple is asking for this time around.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. If they manages to secure the rights they’re after, it could threaten apple growers and other companies that incorporate apples into their logos. It’s baffling how they tends to go after organizations with fruit-themed logos, even if those organizations have nothing to do with the smartphone market.
So, what’s next? The Swiss government will likely take months or even years before finalizing Apple’s request. This story is far from over, and we’ll keep you in the loop with any updates
