In a bizarre legal tussle , a 111 - year - old fruit land association is upset that it will have to shift its logo because Apple is seeking hallmark rightfulness to picture of apples .

TheFruit Union Suissecurrently uses as its logotype an image of a flushed apple with a white hybridization on the righthand side , in an echo of the Swiss flag , and has done for most of its long history . It ’s deserving noting that the Malus pumila in the logo has a plain straw rather than a leaf , and does not have a morsel taken out of the side , so the law of similarity with Apple ’s famous logo are minimum ; nor is there much chance that client are likely to get the two organizations flurry .

But the land association , according to a news story byWired U.K. , believe this logotype to be in risk as a result of belligerent trademarking activity by Apple , a troupe that run in very dissimilar circles .

“ We have a hard fourth dimension understanding this , because it ’s not like they ’re trying to protect their bite apple , ” say organisation music director Jimmy Mariéthoz . “ Their object here is really to own the right to an actual orchard apple tree , which , for us , is something that is really almost oecumenical … that should be complimentary for everyone to practice . ”

Wired take down that Apple has made similartrademarking attemptsaround the cosmos , with mixed results ; authorities in Japan , Turkey , Israel , and Armenia , the land site says , have caved in to the company ’s demand . Others have defend firm .

In theory , Fruit Union Suisse should n’t have to worry , thanks to another effectual principle in Switzerland : “ Anyone who can show prior history of using a disputed sign has tribute in a possible trademark dispute . ” The farming tie-up has been around for a batch longer than Apple , which might be a old hand by tech standards but was n’t founded until 1976 . But common sense is sometimes lacking in earmark disputes . Victoria ‘ Posh Spice ’ Beckham , after all , oncepursued a caseagainst a soccer golf-club that was using the Posh nickname 40 years before she was born . Money dialogue , and the threat of financially ruinous legal action mechanism may be enough to intimidate the Farmer into pass way .

“ You bonk , ” Mariéthoz summate bitterly , “ Apple did n’t invent apples . We have been around for 111 years . And I intend apples have been around for a few thousand more . ”