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Apple legal turns its sights Polish online grocery website A.pl. over iconic Apple logo trademark (with images)

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 · 8:35 am · 49 Comments

“Apple, fresh from a patent victory against South Korean rival Samsung, has turned its sights on a smaller target – Polish online grocery website A.pl,” Dagmara Leszkowicz reports for Reuters.

“The Polish patent office said on Tuesday the U.S. maker of the iPad, iPhone and iPod had filed a complaint, accusing the website of copying one of Apple’s icons to its logo and riding its coattails to win customer,” Leszkowicz reports. “‘[The] Apple brand is widely recognized 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.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Note: The logos in question:

Apple Inc. logo vs. A.pl / fresh24.pl logo

Categories: News

Tags: 24fresh.pl, A.pl., Apple Inc., Apple Inc. logo, Apple logo, legal, Poland, trademark infringement, trademarks

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Comment Feed

49 Comments

1 2 Next »

Ballmer's left nut

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 8:41 am · Reply

Has Apple patented the color green now?
- MacFreek
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 11:55 am · Reply
  
  Apple attacks limes, kiwis, pears, and bell peppers. Oh, the humanity.
Chuklz

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 8:44 am · Reply

What? Seriously?
Nerd Beautiful

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 8:45 am · Reply

In the stem I can see it. If you cover the apple logo and just look at the other the stem makes you think Apple Inc.

Not that people would probably confuse it, but it definitely is borrowing cache from Apple Inc. which means it is also diluting the brand.
Trademarks USA

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 8:54 am · Reply

Apple needs to reign in it’s legal beagles as this will backfire on them in more ways than one. These logos do not even come close of looking alike? God given apples came way before Apple Inc.

Come on.
- are you kidding me?
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 12:38 pm · Reply
  
  Not even close to looking the same?
  
  A.pl’s logo is a round shape with an identical stem above it(only tilted slightly more), and a freaking bite taken out of the right side where the ‘h’ melds into the background.
  
  That’s very close to the same.
  
  If A.pl gets away with this, then expect to see PCs in the near future with logos slapped on them that look almost, but not entirely, like the Apple logo with the intent to fool consumers even more than they’re already fooled by existing by iMac and Macbook knockoffs.
DaLincster

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 8:59 am · Reply

Okay Apple… this is ridiculous!
Ubermac

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:02 am · Reply

Apple needs to get out more and breath some fresh air.

Because their brain is rotting.
Bubbles

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:03 am · Reply

And everyone said the Beatles’ Apple Corp was wrong for suing Apple…
eldernorm

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:08 am · Reply

OK folks, I know everyone is on edge for wednesday but take a breath. The logo is just 1/2. the web site for the place is not fresh24.pl,,,,,,, its A.pl So there you go.

Another thought, I would guess its Apples Poland lawyers that are doing this, not the ones in the US.

And its the same thing styrofoam has to do every time someone in the USA mentions stryofoam cups at an event….. they have to comment its expanded polystyrene cups unless they are actually styrofoam BRAND. If you do not, you can lose your logo. Its the law…….. crazy lawyers.
Quint

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:09 am · Reply

Someone better get in there and add “class” back in. This is chincy and unbecoming.
MEM

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:13 am · Reply

Totally ridiculous and a waste of valuable time.
- Weekend
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 10:25 am · Reply
  
  Yup. A little silly and embarrassing.
Tflint

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:15 am · Reply

Parody is an acceptable form of advertising, and legal! Cool it, Apple!
althegeo

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:17 am · Reply

It could be a grape, a gooseberry, an unripe tomato, an unripe orange, the list is small but apple isn’t the only green fruit. Besides, most apples are not green.

The 24 is we are open 24 hrs, it’s not an A in disguise.

Apple is going to look stupid with this one.
- eldernorm
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:48 am · Reply
  
  I believe the article says the web site is “A.pl” . Why that name when its Fresh 24 company???
  
  Just saying.
  - bignamehere
    
    Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 12:05 pm · Reply
    
    a.pl is the parent company that owns Fresh 24, which has the logo in question… and the a.pl logo looks nothing like the Apple Inc. logo. So is the lawsuit against A.pl or Fresh 24? Either is ridiculous and the Apple legal team has Jumped the Shark on this one.
- daugav369pils
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 3:47 pm · Reply
  
  “…most apples are not green.”
  Prove that statement.
mrbezoar

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:25 am · Reply

I was hoping this was an Onion article.
mxnt41

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:26 am · Reply

If it was just fresh.pl with the apple I would be fine, but if they’re using a.pl then I think it’s a bit harder because they’re obviously trying to create the sound of the word apple and using an apple logo, albeit a differently style one is pushing it a bit.

That said, are people stupid enough to think that a.pl would be something to do with Apple the sort of customers Apple should be too bothered about?
HTML5 Gordon

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:28 am · Reply

The stylized stem was definitely inspired by the Apple logo, and I can see them taking some umbrage about that part, but I think this is a bit of a stretch on Apple’s part.
3l3c7ro

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:29 am · Reply

Apparently, all the postings so far think Apple is going too far but if Apple doesn’t do this, their brand is diluted so much that Samsung will feel that they can use the blob with a leaf over it on their products too. Apple is very justified at protecting its trade marked icon.
- NCG598
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 11:47 am · Reply
  
  Nope, it has to be challenged or some lawyer will use it in a case as Apple acceptance. If in doubt, vigorously defend your property. Other, risk losing parts or the whole of it.
- NCG598
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 11:55 am · Reply
  
  The above statement by me has oddly posted to your comment and was not for your statement. Thus, disregard.
  
  I agree with what you are saying. Most people posting here do not understand that you must defend what you have or it can be used as a case for acceptance by Apple. This is exactly what they must do as a company regardless of what the public may think.
Me

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:29 am · Reply

That apple doesn’t look very fresh
mrfergus

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:34 am · Reply

What a stretch, and the colors are wrong. I don’t think Apple when I see it. Thats the kind of crap I’d expect out of Samsung or Microsoft, but not Apple.
big jerk

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 9:52 am · Reply

Actually, companies have to protect their trademarks if they want to keep them. Sometimes it looks like they’re going after dumb stuff but it is part of how the system works.
Paul

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 10:27 am · Reply

Apple is justified. Imagine that logo on, say, a dishwasher with most of the logo covered up by a price sticker, say, withe stem part being totally visible and the rest covered by the sticker. Now from far away it looks like the dishwasher is from Apple. And what’s with the A.pl?

People, use your brain and see how devious companies could get similar looking logo’s and then use them to rip off Apple.
- dtkreutz
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 10:41 am · Reply
  
  Rip off Apple?? It’s an online grocery store!
  Even the Beatles didn’t go after Apple till they started marketing and selling music in large quantity.
  And since when is the Apple logo green?
  I understand the necessity to protect trademarks, but this seems a real stretch.
- Buster
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 10:41 am · Reply
  
  I did use my brain and it said that something like this would probably be a net negative for Apple by the amount of people thinking that Apple is losing it and comes off as a bully rather than the benefit of actually going after a foreign concern.
- bignamehere
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 12:17 pm · Reply
  
  @Paul – A.pl is the parent company of the separate company Fresh24… the A.pl logo looks nothing like the Apple inc logo. And your logic of covering up 90% of a logo and saying that 10% of it somehow violates copyright law is ridiculous… especially since they are not in the electronics business. This would be like Ford Motor Company suing a parent company located in the Grand Duchy of Radictistan whose domain name is “F.rd” who owns a plumbing company whose logo has an oval in it. The disconnect is ridiculous.
  - Paul
    
    Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 8:09 pm · Reply
    
    You fucking morons don’t see how this is rip off????? For gods sake???? Take a few steps back calm down and with a fresh look at the situation tell me with, a straight face, that when the idiot in Poland thought of this logo he DID NOT have Apple (the computer company) in mind.
    
    It doesn’t matter that they are a fucking grocery store!
    - ThermalCurtainFailure
      
      Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - 3:47 am · Reply
      
      Did you just suggest that we try to determine what someone else was thinking in order to prove your point? Madness.
- Beatles Forever
  
  Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 2:07 pm · Reply
  
  Indeed Paul you are an expert! Expert that believes his own made up crap! Grow up Paul!