Has Woolies taken a bite out of Apple?
p2pnet news view | Advertising:- Apple Has its knickers all in a twist over a new logo from Woolies in Oz.
Woolworths is Australia’s largest retailer, and its new logo is already online — to the disgust of Steve Jobs’ merry men.
“Apple has mounted a legal challenge to prevent Woolworths from using the logo, arguing it is too close to its own,” says The Age, going on:
“Apple will have to convince IP Australia, the Federal Government agency that governs trademarks, to knock back Woolworths’ application – filed in August last year – to trademark its logo.”
Designer Hans Hulsbosch came up with the new Woolies logo look, said FoodWeek a year ago, continuing:
“After consultation with staff and management of Woolworths and many hours of brainstorming, Hulsbosch developed the new logo combining the three key elements of the famous strap-line. ‘W’ for ‘Woolworths’, the colour green and fruit for ‘the fresh food’ and a person with arms in the air food is energy for ‘people’.”
But, “Apple is spooked by the fact Woolworths has gone for a blanket trademark that would allow it to slap its branding and logo on every imaginable product,” says The Age.
“Woolworths’ application includes a wide class for electrical goods and technology, putting it in direct competition with Apple should the retailer choose to brand computers, music players or other devices.”
Competition !?!?
Oh! The Horror!
:p
The Age – Apple bites over Woolworths logo, October 5, 2009
FoodWeek – Designer explains new Woolworths logo, August 22, 2008
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October 9th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Basically, the Jobs Group is effectively trying to say they have a monopoly over the usage of any image depicting an apple itself. That’s a good one. Yeah, good luck with that idea, Steve!
Maybe a company that’s been around longer, like Fruit of the Loom or the Ontario Teachers Board, should sue Apple for the using their trademark imagery all this time.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
As an Australian Citizen, I for one would like to see the DRM-loving bad apples win this one. heh
We have Woolies here in Melbourne and they way too expensive and anti-competitive and No strangers to Scandal on TodayTonight Price-fixing as far as pushing smaller green grocers right out of Shopping centres, and TodayTonigts hidden cameras also found rotten veges and fruits just brushed under stands =/ ALDI and IGA have somewhat leveled the field
but Jon for every good apple theres some bad
XD
October 9th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
and did Apple have an original rainbow-y logo? lol
I guess Woolies are really taking a bite out of Apple heh lol (Ive got loads of these haha)
October 9th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I saw the ‘W’ immediately. Not sure I would have realized the apple shape to it at all had this article not pointed it out. Honestly, how can Apple Inc. own the copyright to the image of an apple of all things? It’s a completely generic icon. Shall we allow companies to copyright the banana, pineapple, strawberry, um… raspberry… hmm, now I have a craving for an ice cream sundae. What was I saying? Oh yeah, generic copyrights. Taking everything under the sun and claiming it belongs solely to you forever. Can’t think of any other word to describe it except sheer stupidity. It’s a sign of the times I guess. Now I’m off to Dairy Queen.
October 10th, 2009 at 12:16 am
I’m a big fan of Apple. iMac, 2 iPods, love all their products, but Apple seems to be getting too big for its own good. What a shame.
October 11th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
What was the final result of the case years ago between Apple computers and Apple Corps/Apple the Beatles’ label, which was also about an apple logo?
Isn’t that a precedent?
October 11th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I hate Appple & Woolworths equally, so let them fight it out & kill each other!