Apple is taking aim at a meal planner and grocery list app called Prepear, which it claims bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Apple’s iconic logo.
In an Instagram post by the app’s creators, Prepear’s founders express their shock that the “trillion dollar Apple” has gone after a small business’ trademark. They say that fighting Apple will cost “tens of thousands of dollars,” but that they will fight nonetheless.
The Instagram post continues that:
“The CRAZY thing is that Apple has done this to dozens of other other small business fruit logo companies, and many have chosen to abandon their logo, or close doors. While the rest of the world is going out of their way to help small businesses during this pandemic, Apple has chosen to go after our small business.
….
I feel a moral obligation to take a stand against Apple’s aggressive legal action against small businesses and fight for the right to keep our logo. We are defending ourselves against Apple not only to keep our logo, but to send a message to big tech companies that bullying small businesses has consequences.”
Prepear’s owners have set up a Change.org petition to fight their corner — and similar situations in which Apple has objected to fruit-based logos from companies. At time of writing, more than 21,800 people have signed the petition.
Prepear filed its logo trademark in January 2017. At the time, the U.S. Trademark office said “that it was not in conflict with any other registered trademarks” and that they would publish it for opposition. However, at this point Apple filed its legal opposition to the logo.
Confusing leaves
Apple’s official complaint describes Prepear’s logo as consisting of a “minimalist fruit design with a right-angled leaf, which readily calls to mind Apple’s famous Apple Logo and creates a similar commercial impression.”
Apple’s logo was designed in 1977 by designer Rob Janoff. Apple has tweaked a couple of times since then. But it remains substantially the same as it was when the Apple II launched. It is one of the world’s most instantly recognizable logos.
Over the years, Apple has, as noted, clashed a few times with other organizations creating Apple-resembling logos. For instance, in 2019 it took issue with a German cycling route using a logo featuring an apple. (Once again, in that case, it was the resemblance to the Apple leaf that may have triggered the complaint.)
Via: iPhoneinCanada and MacRumors
