"Don't Use Apple Logo"... Apple Files Another Lawsuit Against Swiss Fruit Union

Fruit Union states "Apple is a universal fruit"
Apple has previously been involved in several trademark disputes

Apple has filed a lawsuit claiming that the logo of the Swiss Fruit Union (FUS) is similar to their own.

Swiss Fruit Union logo (left) and Apple logo

On the 19th (local time), IT specialist magazine Wired reported that Apple demanded intellectual property rights regarding FUS's logo.

The logo of FUS, the oldest large-scale fruit union in Switzerland, is a red apple shape featuring a white cross symbolizing the Swiss flag.

Apple argued that this logo resembles Apple's "bitten apple" shape, and FUS expressed concerns that they might have to change their logo.

Jimmy Marietos, director of FUS, stated, "We tried to understand (Apple), but it seems they are not trying to protect the bitten apple shape," adding, "They are trying to claim rights over the universal real apple for all of us."

He further explained that it is unclear what uses of the apple shape Apple intends to restrict, saying, "We expect all visual representations using apples to be affected, which worries us," and "It will be a significant limitation for us and could cause problems every time we advertise with apples."

Apple also claims "similar to ours" for pear-shaped logo... alleging trademark infringement

Logo of Freeper changed after the conflict

This is not the first time Apple has claimed intellectual property infringement against another company's logo.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, Apple has previously made similar requests to dozens of IP authorities worldwide.

In 2020, Apple filed a lawsuit against the U.S. startup 'Prefair,' which had only five members at the time, claiming that their logo was similar to Apple's.

Prefair's logo was pear-shaped, but Apple argued that "Prefair's logo, composed of a minimal fruit design with a right-angled leaf, easily reminds one of the Apple logo," asserting trademark infringement.

After nearly six months of trademark disputes with Apple, Prefair modified the shape of the leaf in their logo to distinguish it from Apple's and reached a settlement.

Regarding Apple's repeated lawsuits, Irene Calboli, a law professor at Texas A&M University, pointed out, "The system is heavily biased toward those with more money," adding, "Just the act of a large corporation like Apple filing a lawsuit can intimidate small and medium-sized enterprises, preventing them from engaging in legitimate activities."