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[Dead Man]

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081006.wgtapple06/BNStory/Technology/home

A small Vancouver Island computer school is battling for its identity after computing giant Apple threatened to sue, arguing the two companies' logos are too similar.

Victoria School of Business and Technology denies the logos - both based on apples - are related, and says it's going to fight to keep its logo.

"We were absolutely shocked," Dieter Gerhard, the school's president, told CTV News.

"Here's the bigger guy Goliath really coming down on little guy David."
logos

The Victoria School of Business and Technology denies its logo (top) is related to Apple Inc.'s (bottom)
The Globe and Mail

The logo for Apple is recognizable worldwide - its apple has a stylized bite out of its right side. The company has been using the symbol for about 30 years.

Victoria business school's apple logo has been around for only three years. But Mr. Gerhard says its design incorporates a mountain and has three bumps on top instead of the two used by Apple. There is no bite out of the business school's apple.

"We're saying no one can use an apple for anything any more?" Mr. Gerhard said.

"An apple's an apple. It should be something that everybody gets to use, especially when our logo is by no means similar to the Apple trademark."

Corporations spend big bucks on logos and they'll go to great lengths to protect them.

In 2003, coffee giant Starbucks threatened to sue HaidaBucks, a small café in the Queen Charlotte Islands. And in 2004, the Olympic rings and torches at a pizza restaurant drew the ire of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee.

Mr. Gerhard is hoping public support will force Apple to back off. A poll on the school's website already has more than 1,000 responses, mostly in favour of the school.

 

[Squeak]

It's a crappy logo anyway. Take it as an opportunity to change it.

 

[Chittagong]

Apple should sue the school for using their computers to produce such a shitty logo.

 

[Diffense]

So apple owns all likenesses of an apple in print?
lol

It's not at all the same design.

 

[blame space]

Oh man, as if hearning about Apple Records and Apple Computers bitch-suing each other over that fruit weren't enough...

It's a fucking APPLE.

 

[SIP YEK NOD]

Next: Apple sues apple trees for reproducing likenesses of it's logo.

 

[soultron]

Apple vs. the people's refrigerator crisper.

 

[Rewrite]

Wow, this is absurd.

 

[caffeinated]

this is stupid.

 

[rainking187]

I don't think Apple should be able to sue people just for using an apple, but I mean come on. A tech school with an apple as a logo and we're supposed to believe that's not the least bit inspired by Apple?

 

[PROOP]

What a load of bullshit.

 

[PuppetSlave]

I don't think Apple should be able to sue people just for using an apple, but I mean come on. A tech school with an apple as a logo and we're supposed to believe that's not the least bit inspired by Apple?

Yeah what kind of fool would think apples had anything associated with learning or getting a idea. By newton thats just ludicrous!

 

[Giganticus]

I don't think Apple should be able to sue people just for using an apple, but I mean come on. A tech school with an apple as a logo and we're supposed to believe that's not the least bit inspired by Apple?

Um, ever heard of Isaac Newton? The Bible?

Apples are associated with knowledge and this is a school. They have more right to use it for it's historical precedence than a technology company that focuses on keeping its customers dumb.

 

[rainking187]

Um, ever heard of Isaac Newton? The Bible?

Apples are associated with knowledge and this is a school. They have more right to use it for it's historical precedence than a technology company that focuses on keeping its customers dumb.

Yes I'm aware of those, but would you seriously say that when thinking of technology and apples, Apple is not the first thing to come to mind? I can't really imagine that the Law of Gravity would come up very often in a tech school, or that the Bible would ever come up at all.

 

[loosus]

Yes I'm aware of those, but would you seriously say that when thinking of technology and apples, Apple is not the first thing to come to mind? I can't really imagine that the Law of Gravity would come up very often in a tech school, or that the Bible would ever come up at all.

Pretty much everything you just said is wrong. Congrats.

I know some of you youngsters won't believe it, but apples existed before the Apple company existed. I know, you're probably thinking that Mother Nature ripped off Steve Jobs, but it's actually the other way around.

 

[jts]

It helps that even the leaf is tilted in the same way.

 

[rainking187]

Pretty much everything you just said is wrong. Congrats.

I know some of you youngsters won't believe it, but apples existed before the Apple company existed. I know, you're probably thinking that Mother Nature ripped off Steve Jobs, but it's actually the other way around.

Really? It's all wrong? You find the Bible to be very helpful while programming? And again, I stand my comments that technology+apples=Apple. I'm well aware of other uses of apples, but really, if you had to design a logo for a tech school would "Hey, how bout an apple?" be your first thought?

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Poor Apple not making enough money

 

[Kipz]

Nature should sue apple first.

 

[PuppetSlave]

Really? It's all wrong? You find the Bible to be very helpful while programming? And again, I stand my comments that technology+apples=Apple. I'm well aware of other uses of apples, but really, if you had to design a logo for a tech school would "Hey, how bout an apple?" be your first thought?

Could the Vatican or a resurrected zombie Newton sue Steve Jobs then for making his logo an apple? Pretty obvious where he got the idea for an apple logo, thats for sure.

What happened to this then?

The big apple

Apple should shut the fuck up and cram their apple up somewhere dark.

 

[btkadams]

no!!!!!!!! apple i thought you could do no wrong!!!!!!!

 

[Azih]

Steve Jobs is brilliant and all. But he has some severe douchebag tendencies.

 

[Xdrive05]

but but but!!! microSoft is teh evil corpoo-rashun an apple is teh saveyer of compooter cumpany kewlness!

That's seriously litigious and stupid of them.

 

[Sol..]

Steve Jobs is brilliant and all. But he has some severe douchebag tendencies.

Is steve even associated with such a decision?

This shit is beyond stupid.

 

[Ponn]

Way to keep up that persona of elitism Apple.

 

[Flachmatuch]

Really? It's all wrong? You find the Bible to be very helpful while programming? And again, I stand my comments that technology+apples=Apple. I'm well aware of other uses of apples, but really, if you had to design a logo for a tech school would "Hey, how bout an apple?" be your first thought?

I think your lack of culture illustrates the difference between getting education from a real school and getting it from corporate marketing brochures :-D

 

[Threi]

Toronto District School Board's logo is an apple IIRC.

WHAT YA GUNNA DO ABOUT IT APPLE?

 

[Azih]

Is steve even associated with such a decision?

I'm just drawing a comparision between the company and the man. Apple is a brilliant company with some severe douchebag tendencies as well

 

[Azih]

And again, I stand my comments that technology+apples=Apple.

Dude apples have been a symbol of EDUCATION far before Jobs and Wozniak were even born. Apple on a teacher's desk and all.

 

[Lakitu]

They should change their name to Banana and be done with it.

 

[Dark Octave]

Real stupid, but at the same time, is that logo even worth the trouble of fighting for?

 

[sspeedy]

Yeah what kind of fool would think apples had anything associated with learning or getting a idea. By newton thats just ludicrous!

.

:lol

 

[santouras]

Steve Jobs is brilliant and all. But he has some severe douchebag tendencies.

steve jobs is a raging meglomaniac

apple fans are and always have been the worst kind of fanboys on the planet and jobs loves the attention, absolutely LOVES it. They are by far and away one of the most closed, protective, evil corporations on the planet, and thank goodness they don't control more of the computer market than they do currently, as we'd all be in a much worse off position than we are

 

[castle007]

they better drop the lawsuit, because this is dumb

 

[lil smoke]

There is no copyright infringement here. Not even close. I am starting to hate Apple.

 

[btkadams]

steve jobs is a raging meglomaniac

apple fans are and always have been the worst kind of fanboys on the planet and jobs loves the attention, absolutely LOVES it. They are by far and away one of the most closed, protective, evil corporations on the planet, and thank goodness they don't control more of the computer market than they do currently, as we'd all be in a much worse off position than we are

well we can't all be google

 

[AlexMogil]

Is steve even associated with such a decision?

Haha Vista sucks, Bill Gates is a moron. And so on.

 

[Rapping Granny]

SUE A FUCKING SCHOOL??

What a pathetic company.

 

[Tenacious-V]

I hope Apple loses, this is ridiculous.

 

[inner-G]

It's a crappy logo anyway. Take it as an opportunity to change it.

Yeah, the Apple logo is pretty lame.

 

[Justin Bailey]

Unfortunately the way our legal system is designed, companies HAVE to attempt to protect their trademarks. Even if they lose or it's shitting on the little guy, if they don't try then they run the legal risk of them going public domain.

 

[Olivier]

SUE A FUCKING SCHOOL??

What a pathetic company.

Technology school. If any logo has an apple on it and belongs to an organization related to the IT/electronics field, they basically have to sue.

It's fucking ridiculous, but that's part of the copyrights game when you're a public company. Google, Microsoft, you name it, their legal department would've done the same. Remember that kid named Mike Rowe who started "Mike Rowe Soft"? He got sued, too.

Edit: beaten by Justin Bailey.

 

[Flachmatuch]

Unfortunately the way our legal system is designed, companies HAVE to attempt to protect their trademarks. Even if they lose or it's shitting on the little guy, if they don't try then they run the legal risk of them going public domain.

Yeah, I guess the legal system is this way by accident. The trend for expanding intellectual property rights has nothing at all to do with corporate interests, it's just an "unfortunate" coincidence :-DDD

 

[B!TCH]

Mr. Gerhard is hoping public support will force Apple to back off. A poll on the school's website already has more than 1,000 responses, mostly in favour of the school.

Bull-shit.

 

[mollipen]

I don't exactly support Apple's actions here, but... it is a pretty stupid looking logo.

 

[Shoogoo]

pfft. it's a goddamn a.p.p.l.e.

 

[speculawyer]

It will get resolved. Companies have to do this or else their trademarks can become diluted and they could lose them. It is nothing personal and I'm sure they'll resolve this.

BTW, your title is wrong . . . no law suit, probably just a standard C&D letter.

computing giant Apple threatened to sue

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

The 50's should sue Apple.

 

[clav]

So much for Apple and education.

 

[Ceres]

I don't exactly support Apple's actions here, but... it is a pretty stupid looking logo.

It's because all the company did was take their northstudio.com logo and overlay it on an apple and toss in some bad drop shadows.