Apple Inc. is trying to take a bite out of the Big Apple.
The makers of the Macintosh and the iPod have gone to war against the city’s business promotion office, to stop them from registering an official logo that features the image of an apple.
The computer cor poration claims that NYC & Co. is not thinking differently enough with its ap ple-style icon, and that it tramples on the trademark of Apple’s famous logo.
“[The city’s] marks are very similar to opposer Apple’s marks in appearance [and] commercial impression,” the company’s lawyers wrote in their objection, now pending with trademark authorities.
The NYC & Co. apple logo is to be used in brochures, booklets and teaching materials promoting the city’s “environmentally friendly” policies, according to the original trademark application filed by the group in May 2007.
The new logo, in addition to being used in literature, will be put on t-shirts, caps, glasses, plates and tote bags.
The city logo includes a sort of figure eight in the shape of an apple known as the infinity symbol, which NYC & Co. has nicknamed the “infinity apple.” It is somewhat different from Apple computer’s apple-with-a-bite-taken-out logo that can be seen on the back of 1 zillion iPods across the city.
Still, Apple boss Steve Jobs and his minions feel that New York’s graphical take on the Big Apple nickname is too close for comfort to their logo, which they have had since 1977.
The complaint is expected to be heard by a Trademark Office review board.
Yesterday, NYC & Co. released a statement insisting that it’s in the right – and that its application for the city logo will be upheld.
“We believe the ‘infinity apple’ design and its mission to create environmental awareness are unique and distinctive and do not infringe upon the Apple Computer brand,” said Kimberly Spell, the group’s senior vice president of communications.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
It’s not the first time they have been involved in a trademark dispute.
They recently battled with the surviving members of the Beatles, who hold claim to the Apple name under a music production label they own. The two parties eventually settled their disagreement, with the computer company able to keep using the Apple name on music players and other electronic items.