Apple vs Swiss Fruit Union: Who gets the apple?

(Image: Reuters)

Apple is reportedly attempting to persuade the Swiss Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) to grant it the exclusive use of a black-and-white, realistic depiction of a Granny Smith apple for use in its products.

This has worried the Fruit Union Suisse, a 111-year-old company, which might have to change its logo. Throughout much of its existence, The Swiss Fruit Union has used a red apple with a cross as its logo but that might not be the case if Apple is granted the trademark.

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Speaking with Wired, Fruit Union Director Jimmy Mariethoz says Apple's objective is, "to own the rights to an actual apple, which, for us, is something that is really almost universal… that should be free for everyone to use”.

The Swiss Fruit Union Logo

The Cupertino technology giant filed for the trademark in 2017 and IPI partially granted its request saying that the company could get the rights for only some of the products, saying that it considers images of common goods to be in the public domain. Apple filed an appeal.

The case is now moving through courts for products the IPI refused the request for. The Swiss Fruit Union is concerned that if the company were to get its wish, there is no telling what depictions of an apple they will try to protect.

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“We’re concerned that any visual representation of an apple — so anything that’s audiovisual or linked to new technologies or to media — could be potentially impacted. That would be a very, very big restriction for us,” said Mariethoz. “Theoretically, we could be entering slippery territory every time we advertise with an apple.”