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Apple Fends Off Copycats with Store Layout Trademark

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News Posted: Wed, Jan 30 2013 3:23 PM
This week the USPTO gave Apple another tool in its endless battle against copycats: a trademark for the layout of its Apple Store. That’s right, the store that made fools of early critics and became one of Apple’s many success stories now has a trademark to protect such design elements as the “oblong table with stools located at the back of the store.”

Apple Store Patent Image

Given the trouble Apple has had with copycats in China, it’s not surprising that the company is looking for ways to prevent similar issues in the U.S. Even so, the trademark is going to seem like overkill to many people.

Apple lists several features of the store in its mark description. The storefront (which, despite its length, still ends up sounding like an ordinary store) is described as “a clear glass storefront surrounded by a paneled facade consisting of large, rectangular horizontal panels over the top of the glass front…” Not all of the typical Apple Store features are included in the trademark (the color white isn’t claimed, for example), but Apple covers its bases by pointing out lighting and other fixture placement is “considered to be part of the overall mark.”
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lipe123 replied on Wed, Jan 30 2013 5:13 PM

Why haven't apple patented apples yet?

I mean these patents of "wedge shaped laptops", "rectangular devices with rounded corners" and "a store with a glass front and tables inside" seems so half ass. They should just go all out and patent every letter (a-p-l-e) in their name and of course two p's next to another (pp) and then start suing dictionaries that dare to print their letters.

Not to mention supermarkets for selling actual apples and so on.. Honestly if meteors magically appear and wipe out every apple store and apple HQ today I'd be pretty happy.

btw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFeC25BM9E0

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Dave_HH replied on Wed, Jan 30 2013 5:28 PM

Patent Apples... hmm. I think the Beatles may have been first with that trademark actually.

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realneil replied on Wed, Jan 30 2013 5:52 PM

Apple Records was first. 

The Beatles took Apple to court after they introduced iTunes. (they never did before, because Apple Computers had nothing to do with music,...and iTunes changed all of that)

They won that one, and forced Apple into an agreement.

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

(Mark Twain)

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SmogHog replied on Thu, Jan 31 2013 12:58 AM

The USPTO needs to be nuked.

There's no common sense in that place.

Patents should have a use it or lose it requirement.

Patent trolling should be illegal.

Rambus and Apple = 2 peas in a pod

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