Apple vs. Apple opening arguments begin in UK High Court

“As the unmistakable opening notes of the disco hit ‘Le Freak’ thumped through the High Court on Wednesday, it was clear that ‘Apple Corps Ltd vs. Apple Computer Inc’ was not going to be a typical trademark lawsuit,” Reuters reports. “Apple Corps Ltd — owned by Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono and the estate of George Harrison — accused Apple Computer of violating a 1991 agreement by using the Apple name and logo to sell music downloads through its market-leading iTunes Music Store. ‘Apple Computer can go into the recorded music business in any way they want. What they cannot do is use the Apple (trade)mark to do it,’ Apple Corps counsel Geoffrey Vos said in his opening statement.”

“In a high-tech courtroom strewn with computers, monitors, and at least one iPod, Vos demonstrated the iTunes software by downloading the song ‘Le Freak’ and playing it for Justice Edward Mann, a self-professed iPod owner,” Reuters reports. “Vos said the Apple Computer logo is ‘intimately associated with the process’ of buying a song from the iTunes Music Store. He also played a TV ad featuring the British band Coldplay, which prominently displayed the logo.”

“Apple Corps is seeking a judgement of liability and an injunction against Apple Computer. If it succeeds, a subsequent trial will assess damages,” Reuters reports. “Apple Computer counsel Anthony Grabiner was due to give his opening presentation, but it was pushed back until Thursday. Apple Corps Managing Director Neil Aspinall, a former Beatles road manager, and Eddie Cue, Apple Computer’s vice president for applications, are scheduled to testify at the trial, which is due to run through next week.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: The Beatles and associated Beatles parasites (Yoko) sure do love that logo, don’t they?

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