Just like it gets sued for trademarks like iPad or Swatch's "one more thing," Apple is known to swoop in on logo and catchphrase patents it thinks infringe on its signatory. Back in 2011, it sued a coffee shop in Bonn, Germany, for allegedly ripping off its logo. The latest example in this saga is, unsurprisingly, coming from Apple Germany again, and concerns the... Rheinische Apfelroute, or the path of the apples along the river Rhein.
This is a 70 miles long bicycle road going through the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis left bank of the river which is planned for an official opening on May 18 by the Rhein-Voreifel tourist association.
The Apfelroute marketing materials are all ready for the grand opening on May 18
When accounting for all the branches stemming from it, it is actually twice the original length and one very impressive network going through the communities Alfter , Bornheim , Meckenheim , Rheinbach , Swisttal and Wachtberg. The main attraction is a scenic landscape, brought along by the vegetable gardens and orchard trees along the way, hence the Apfelroute name.
Apple from Cupertino, however, has raised its objections with the European Regional Development Fund\s project that pays for the majority of planning, development and, yes, the design of the bike path logo, on the premise that it resembles Apple's signage too closely.
Despite that the logo has already been approved by the German Patent and Trademark Office (GPTO) and is currently in use along the bike path, the lawyers representing Apple have objected the GPTO grant, and sent a cease-and-desist letter to the to Rhine-Voreifel Tourism organization to stop using it.
According to the appeal memo, the Apfelroute picture resembles the Apple sign because the fruit seems bitten off on one side, and the leaf, albeit green and the logo heavily stylized, is exactly where it is placed on the famous Apple logo. What do you think, do Apple's lawyers have a point?
Do you think that the Apfelroute bike path logo resembles Apple's too closely?
Yes
2.7%
No
97.3%
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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