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Victoria school forced to change apple logo

updated 12:30 am EDT, Tue October 7, 2008

Apple knocks VSBT logo


Apple's legal team is targeting a Vancouver Island college, Victoria School of Business and Technology, over its logo, which bares a slight resemblance to the Cupertino-based electronics manufacturer's famous logo. CBC News writes that the school uses a stylized blue and green apple logo, with the letters VSBT adorning the upper left corner. The positioning of the logo's single leaf is most likely Apple's cause for concern, despite almost 3000 out of 4000 users polled said the logos sufficiently differ.

"Our logo is unique and distinguishable in numerous aspects from the Apple logo including the acronym 'VSBT' being part of our logo," reads a statement by school president Dieter Gerhard. "Are you suggesting that anyone using any variation of an apple for technology education is infringing on Apple's trademark?"

Apple lawyer Stephanie Vaccari writes the school, saying its logo is "infringing Apple's rights," while also "falsely suggesting" Apple's approval over the design.

VSBT is currently a large customer of Apple's, with a significant segment of its labs being Apple computers.


by MacNN Staff

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 education, Apple, VSBT

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  1. bloggerblog

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2007

    +4
    10/07, 01:04am | report spam | Reply |

    easily changed

    Just add two more leaves to the apple.

    Comment buried. Show
  1. rytc

    Senior User

    Joined: Jan 2001

    -10
    10/07, 01:32am | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Pretty similar

    There are many ways to draw and Apple and this one is clearly inspired by Apple's logo. I'd agree change it and get over it and fire whoever signed off on it in the first place. Also, since when does being a customer of a company allow you to copy said company's logo?

  1. wr11

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Feb 2001

    0
    10/07, 01:55am | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Confusion

    I'm pretty sure Apple is a bit sensitive to this logo because this school is a Mac only school which is not endorsed by Apple themselves. The issue is down to people thinking that this school is endorsed by Apple somehow.

    If I understood the whole Apple Corps. / Apple Computer logo thing - Apple now owns the Beatles "Green Apple without the bite" but freely licenses back to Apple Corps (for some undisclosed sum)

  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +2
    10/07, 06:55am | report spam | Reply |

    I don't know

    Maybe they shouldn't get sued because their logo remotely remembles Apple's.

    They should get sued because their logo is butt-ugly.

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +2
    10/07, 07:19am | report spam | Reply |

    'forced'?

    They haven't been forced to change their logo...yet.

  1. Meovv

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

    +2
    10/07, 07:25am | report spam | Reply |

    Obvious

    This is an obvious case where Apple is forced to react. In copyright law, you are obliged to defend your rights and you cannot choose who and when to react. Also, colors are not part of a logo's decription. Change the screen to black and white and it becomes very obvious that the two are too similar. Why did they for example decide to have a detached leaf pointing from the same position in a similar angle? This looks almost like plagiarism to me. Re-do!

  1. JeffHarris

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 1999

    -4
    10/07, 08:05am | report spam | Reply |

    Design Police

    Jeronimo2000 ...

    You hit THAT nail! Eye pollution!

    Apple will be doing the world a favor by forcing them to put that logo where it belongs.... the trash!

  1. bobolicious

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2002

    +6
    10/07, 08:24am | report spam | Reply |

    Fruit markets watch out..

    ...or you might get sued for leaving an apple on the shelf with the leaf to the right, bite or no bite......perhaps the Pope should be suing Apple on behalf of Eve, who after all was arguably the first to appropriate the apple as an icon - one might argue Apple has clearly

  1. bobolicious

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2002

    +1
    10/07, 08:38am | report spam | Reply |

    ...and unmistakably...

    ...tried to associate with, benefit from & thus trivialize & harm the reputation of all knowing God with their computer logo - I can't imagine the scope of damages against global organized religion generally...

    Perhaps Steve wasn't told messianic rights are generally limited to the Church...

  1. Guest

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

    -6
    10/07, 08:41am | report spam | Reply |

    Totally inspired...

    This logo absolutely smacks of Apple Inc!

    It's important for Apple to protect their image from use, no matter how subtle it appears.

    It's a technology school. If I came across it, I'd wonder how they thought it was OK to imply Apple, and I would have thought they were so poh-dunk that no one knows they are using it.

    Good move for them, good move for Apple.

    Lesson:
    You can't re-create a logo that someone paid much, much money for use! (read about Apple's logo development, and you'll see how valuable a winning logo is)

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