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You are here: MacNN Forums > News > Tech News > Apple sues Polish online grocery store over 'A.pl' domain

Apple sues Polish online grocery store over 'A.pl' domain
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Sep 10, 2012, 08:30 AM
 
Apple is asking the Polish patent office, the UPRP, to cancel a trademark belonging to a local online grocery vendor, A.PL, reports say. An initial meeting in the legal dispute is said to have taken place on August 29th, but ended up adjourned and deferred to a later date. Polish site Telepolis suggests that if the dispute isn't settled out of court, it could take two to three years to resolve.

A.PL could potentially have the upper hand in the case, in which Apple is arguing that the trademark creates confusion and exploits Apple's popularity. While Apple is richer, A.PL operates a completely different kind of business, and doesn't use any Apple-like imagery on its website. The company may have chosen its name just for the sake of a simple, easy-to-remember web address.
     
coffeetime
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Sep 10, 2012, 08:47 AM
 
Wondering when will Apple start suing fruit industries for naming their product apple?
     
Kludge
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Sep 10, 2012, 08:58 AM
 
It's s#*t like this Apple...
     
Dario Sycco
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Sep 10, 2012, 09:30 AM
 
I think fruit companies have a better case. If I was growing apples, I'd go after Apple.
I remember when Apple was a likeable company. As a vivid Mac and Apple product user, I can honestly say that I'm starting to get sick of them.
     
Athens
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Sep 10, 2012, 09:46 AM
 
This is to much, this makes me want to dump Apple if they are going to this length. The company is basically A Poland, .pl is the country code for the net. a.pl, its no different from a.ca or a.com. Seriously Apple this is going to far.
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Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
Grendelmon
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Sep 10, 2012, 10:42 AM
 
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Sep 10, 2012, 10:54 AM
 
Are they serious about it or are they just doing their legally required due diligence to protect their trademark from dilution. All they need is a rubber stamp from a judge saying it's not a conflict and then this can't be used later to argue they've neglected their trademark.
     
cgc
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Sep 10, 2012, 11:43 AM
 
Originally Posted by Grendelmon View Post
I too used to love Apple, now I find them quite annoying. Funny video.
     
realfortin
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Sep 10, 2012, 12:50 PM
 
Oh, remember 3 years ago when Apple was great because of its product? You are going to get hated like Microsoft got hated in the 90s. They are still suffering from their past antics. Change directions Apple, change fast.
     
blahblahbber
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Sep 10, 2012, 03:19 PM
 
Linux anyone?
     
Inkling
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Sep 10, 2012, 04:31 PM
 
I just checked and b.pl through d.pl are also assigned to other Polish websites and I suspect that continues all the way through the alphabet.

Apple's lawyers will have trouble proving that a.pl is anything other that a very short and handy web address that just happens to resembled, in their little twisted minds, Apple's own name.

And since when does Apple Inc. own every use of any term remotely similar to their name on the planet. Are they going to sue those who make and sell apple sauce and apple pie.
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Sep 10, 2012, 05:52 PM
 
     
Wiskedjak
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Sep 10, 2012, 06:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
Are they serious about it or are they just doing their legally required due diligence to protect their trademark from dilution. All they need is a rubber stamp from a judge saying it's not a conflict and then this can't be used later to argue they've neglected their trademark.
You're probably right. However, do other companies need to be put through the expense of defending against such stupid suits?
     
Kaczorek Donald
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Sep 10, 2012, 11:47 PM
 
This is outrageous! I cannot believe this can happen again after Samsung-Apple trial. They have a patent on a rectangle with rounded edges and now they try to patent the alphabet. Everybody knows that Apple does no innovation and is 2 years behind competition in every aspect but trying to defend your lousy products in courts not on the market in really sad. If iPhones were worth a penny they would do good on the market without suing our supermarkets. I definitely don't like Apple because of the policy of incompatibility, making life hard for the customer, obtaining patents for trivial things... like rectangles, squares, letters of the alphabet and fruits.
I won't buy a SINGLE Apple product 'cause I will not give their stupid lawyers funds for suing other companies over nothing just to destroy them. Apple is finished.
     
Kaczorek Donald
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Sep 10, 2012, 11:58 PM
 
Also... in my opinion as Poles we should STOP buying any Apple products. This company has lost all reputation in Poland.Nowadays only Apple fanatics and fanboys buy their ware. We have let Apple get away with stupid patent warsbut suying our innocent polish company which sells food and sends them in packages directly to your home is just TOO MUCH!Good buy Apple!
     
blahblahbber
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Sep 11, 2012, 12:19 PM
 
Glad to see people are starting to see into the heart of this company. crApple is just that, control... control the world in some way. Don't make it easy for Apple by funding their agenda. Proper Citizens need to spend money on what you support, where ever you live in the world. Money will be the last real tool you can actually vote with, and even that is going out the window soon; if the ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT system goes online for good... nobody wants that unless you are already fed with a silver spoon. again, VOTE WITH YOUR MONEY. Making intelligent, justified, supportive purchases is one way to fight or feed evil.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Sep 11, 2012, 12:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by Kaczorek Donald View Post
Also... in my opinion as Poles we should STOP buying any Apple products. This company has lost all reputation in Poland.Nowadays only Apple fanatics and fanboys buy their ware.
If by "nowadays", you mean "1997”, then you don't look quite so idiotic.

If by "nowadays", you mean "today", I ask you to explain how their sales can be so explosively growing, unless every fanboy is buying twice as many identical devices every year as he did the last.

You wanna buy one of my 48 iPhones, cheap?


Edit: your post makes a vague sort of sense if we turn it around: people who buy Apple products instantly become fans. That *would* explain why numbers of fans, and sales, have been increasing so dramatically over the past decade.
     
Kludge
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Oct 25, 2012, 12:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by Dario Sycco View Post
I remember when Apple was a likeable company. As a vivid Mac and Apple product user, I can honestly say that I'm starting to get sick of them.
Apple has never been a likeable company; you just liked them.
     
   
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