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Apple Sued for App Store Logo's Resemblance to Chinese Clothing Brand Logo
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Apple's defense is this developers findings on the icon shading 
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mistake-in-new-app-store-icon.2064209/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mistake-in-new-app-store-icon.2064209/
When Apple released the updated App Store as part of iOS 11, the App Store logo got an overhaul. Instead of an "A" made from a pencil, a paintbrush, and a ruler, Apple designed a simpler "A" that looks like it's constructed from popsicle sticks.
As it turns out, Apple's App Store logo bears a resemblance to the logo used by a Chinese clothing brand named KON, and now KON is suing Apple.
According to Phone Radar (via The Verge), KON believes Apple's new logo is a violation of Chinese copyright law. KON is a brand that's been around since 2009, and as The Verge discovered, Baidu Baike, the Chinese equivalent of Wikipedia, says the KON brand was inspired by music like the Sex Pistols, with the logo meant to represent three skeleton bones symbolizing power over death.
KON wants Apple to publicly apologize for using its logo, stop selling devices using the current App Store logo, and pay compensation for economic loss.
The Beijing People's Court has accepted the case and should make a ruling over the course of the next couple of weeks.
Apple in 2016 lost a similar case involving the "IPHONE" trademark that was in use by Chinese leather goods manufacturer Xintong Tiandi Technology. In that case, Apple was aiming to protect its iPhone trademark to prevent Xintong Tiandi from using the iPhone name for its cases, but the Chinese courts ruled against Apple.
Article Link: Apple Sued for App Store Logo's Resemblance to Chinese Clothing Brand Logo
"...and pay compensation for economic loss. ". No sympathy here, but alike is alike so get it done and move on.
It's not comparable: the actual shape and dimensions of the Apple logo hasn't changed at all since 1977.Most of these Apple logos are different but the main outline allows them to all be recognized as the Apple logo. The same is true with the App Store icon. It has changed but the main point of 3 lines making an A is still present and always has been.
The App Store logo on the other hand went through a fairly significant change from being a capital A built from a ruler, a pencil, and a paintbrush arranged in a (roughly) mirror symmetric arrangement with the crossbar clearly shifted upwards, to a fully rotational symmetric, equilateral triangle made up from popsicle sticks.
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Why do you say this? Because Dieter Rams worked mostly in white and embraced minimalist design? I can see one product that could be considered similar (Dieters radio vs the original iPod) but there are a lot of designers that follow this design principle. Are they all 'ripping each other off'?
Adopting a design concept and style does mean that a lot of things will look similar. This is especially true when talking about minimalist movement.... there is only so much you can do with white !!!!
Beijing People's Court: Apple, you are being sued for using a logo with the likeness of an existing Chinese brand.
Apple: We would like to sue all the companies using our company's' likeness on their knock-off products.
Beijing People's Court: Case dismissed.
Apple: We would like to sue all the companies using our company's' likeness on their knock-off products.
Beijing People's Court: Case dismissed.
Funny how you guys are always quick to defend Apple. Use the same push notifications?Never miss a good opportunity to hate on Apple now do you...
I suppose guys like you have push notifications to alert you to any news negative to Apple, so you can go run to your keyboards!
I have to chuckle every time Apple (Sir Jonny) changes a font or an icon. It's good to see the design team working on such important things. The R&D on icons (emoticons) is well worth the effort.
Meanwhile, the HomePod is delayed... and we're still waiting on Apple to do something "amazing".
Meanwhile, the HomePod is delayed... and we're still waiting on Apple to do something "amazing".
"...says the KON brand was inspired by music like the Sex Pistols, with the logo meant to represent three skeleton bones symbolizing power over death. "
I completely fail to see the connection between their symbol and:
1. Sex Pistols
2. Skeleton bones
3. Power over death
If anyone could kindly shed some light of any of these matters
I completely fail to see the connection between their symbol and:
1. Sex Pistols
2. Skeleton bones
3. Power over death
If anyone could kindly shed some light of any of these matters
You need to direct that to others on here. People have all out war defending Apple whenever they sue someone, but when it’s the other way round..........
I completely understand. I went into the Apple Store to buy a cool jacket that symbolized that whole bones are life thing, and walked out with an iPhone X. Well at least I used to get backpack bags at the store, now I just get well crafted minimalist simplified in design highly functional electronic device. I am so confused. Where is the zipper pull on my iPhone X. Next time, wait, Next means Apple too?, well anyway, I’m going to get Android Wear, I hear they have good caps and matching gloves.
[...]
KON wants Apple to publicly apologize for using its logo, stop selling devices using the current App Store logo, and pay compensation for economic loss.
[...]
Article Link: Apple Sued for App Store Logo's Resemblance to Chinese Clothing Brand Logo
Apple has been using the logo way longer than that. Check out this screenshot of MacOS 10.0, from 2001 (notice the "Applications" icon):
The recent change is a natural evolution of that design. There's no way they should win.
EDIT: And yes, that is Internet Explorer.
Sorry, but soooo not the same thing, and while one could argue that you could "naturally" end up at today's logo, that's also a stretch. When I saw the KON logo, it instantly made me thing of Apple, not KON. The initial logo formed a proper "A", the new one is ... well, KON.
Looks a lot like the emergency triangle iconography too...
https://www.123rf.com/photo_5633960...gle-flag-and-pliers-linear-signs-disable.html
https://www.123rf.com/photo_5633960...gle-flag-and-pliers-linear-signs-disable.html
Ironic The Chinese have been infringing on the world's trademarks for decades, now their concerned about one of their own. Hmmm
The App Store logo on the other hand went through a fairly significant change from being a capital A built from a ruler, a pencil, and a paintbrush arranged in a (roughly) mirror symmetric arrangement with the crossbar clearly shifted upwards, to a fully rotational symmetric, equilateral triangle made up from popsicle sticks.
It's not an "equilateral triangle". It's still obviously an 'A' because the overlap distance at the bottom is longer below the crossbar. Apple simplified an existing design that appeared before the Kon clothing brand existed. So the question is, can Kon sue someone for simplifying an 'A' design? Can they sue someone for using a logo that is triangular? I doubt that Kon has much of a case here because logos that are "similar" in terms of geometry isn't really enough. Gazillions of corporations have logos based on circles, triangles, rectangles, squares, or letters.
Please, don't repeat that nonsense about Dieter Rams. Especially since Dieter Rams himself completely disagrees with you. (He has actually told publicly that he really likes what Jony Ive is doing).
There was a website with photos claiming that Apple products looked very much like products created by Dieter Rams. When you locked a bit closer, the actual products looked completely different but had been cleverly photographed to make them look similar. By "completely different" I mean that anyone seeing two products that were supposed to be matching in real life, a similarity wouldn't have occurred to them.
And I didn't know Pablo Picasso was Ive's mentor. (That's the great artist who was proud of not copying, but stealing other people's ideas and making them his own, creating something altogether new).
Well, the KON logo and the original App Store logo look pretty similar too. KON opened in 2009, the App Store launched in 2008.
I do agree that the symbols look almost identical and its very possible that Apple ripped them off. But, as these are in two completely different markets, I do not see this as a big deal. I would be ok with KON asking Apple to change their logo, but aside from Apple doing that, I do not see anything else that can be done. KON asking for money is just greedy and a money grab... But then again, dont know if I could turn down an opportunity to get a couple million from suing a company who probably would not even know its gone. The real issue here is the Chinese government's bias towards Chinese companies.
I don't think Apple purposefully copied KON but I can see KON's points.
As a fashion company you don't want all your products to look like App Store rip offs (since Apple is probably more famous than KON)
Even though App Store launched in 2008 but this icon is fairly new.
BTW Apple has a history of copying designs, remember the Swiss railway clock they shamelessly copied? (then changed after they are sued)
Also - yes there are lots of copyright infringements in China but that doesn't automatically make ALL Chinese companies/brands guilty of it. It is like saying all Americans are mass shooters because there are lots of mass shootings in the States.
As a fashion company you don't want all your products to look like App Store rip offs (since Apple is probably more famous than KON)
Even though App Store launched in 2008 but this icon is fairly new.
BTW Apple has a history of copying designs, remember the Swiss railway clock they shamelessly copied? (then changed after they are sued)
Also - yes there are lots of copyright infringements in China but that doesn't automatically make ALL Chinese companies/brands guilty of it. It is like saying all Americans are mass shooters because there are lots of mass shootings in the States.