Apple Computer’s long and winding court battle with Beatles music label Apple Corps came to a close Monday after a U.K. judge ruled that the PC maker’s iTunes online store doesn’t infringe on trademarks held by the label.
Deciding in favor of the tech company, London High Court Justice Edward Mann said the launch of iTunes in 2003 made Apple Computer a shopkeeper, not a music producer. Thus, it didn’t violate the 1991 agreement: “The use of the Apple logo…does not suggest a relevant connection with the creative work,” said Justice Mann in a written ruling.
The case was the latest in a series of trademark tussles between Apple Corps–owned by Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the heirs of the late George Harrison and John Lennon–and Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs, a self-professed Beatles fan. The iTunes infringement action was originally filed in 2004. Apple Corps had asked the High Court to prohibit Apple Computer from using its apple-with-a-bite-missing logo on iTunes and award financial damages.
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That’s something I would have never even connected Apple Corp with Apple-Mac. I like Rutle Corps better..
All of this suit stuff seems pretty wasteful like when the Beatles went down in a hail of lawsuits in the 70s. Read up on the saga of My Sweet Lord/ He’s So Fine at http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/mysweet.htm
I like the take that Eric Idle did in the Rutles movie in 1978 where each of the 4 Rutles sued the other 3 and one of them sued himself by mistake..