Apple is suing a Canadian technology school, which happens to use and love Apple products for logo/trademark infringement. Victoria News has been reporting about the story for a few days now, and multiple images backing the story have now surfaced.
Apple is demanding that the Victoria School of Business and Technology (VBST) stop using their current logo, which bears a strikingly similar resemblance to Apple’s. We have heard grumblings about this since last week, however waited until there was substantial information, and imagery to back up the story before we posted it. If you consider the images below, we find it rather difficult to side with the Canadian school, even if they are just a school, and many people don’t see them as a threat.
Apple’s legal team is not necessarily known for being considerate, respectful or shy. Apparently the letter Apple sent to the school was not very polite. They more so demanded that the school remove the Apple portion of its logo, or that Apple would pursue a legal course of action. The letter also said that should the school comply with the demands and remove the infringing section of the logo, Apple would forgo the lawsuit.
Vice president of VSBT Christopher Boag, explained that he was in “total shock” when he received Apple’s threat, arguing that the school’s logo is “100 percent original” and was designed through “a flow and a process,” and that its never been confused for Apple’s logo by anyone. Which we find especially hard to believe. “It’s a matter of them trying to push over the little guy, to some degree,” said Boag. “They figure we’re going to roll over and play dead, but we want to be more vocal.”
“Unfortunately, I think the fact that VBST uses Apple products is what got it in trouble in the first place. The school offers a wide range of technology training and education (including OS X training), something that is also offered by Apple. VBST apparently also uses a few other Apple trademarks on its web site, which I’m sure didn’t win it any brownie points with the company. I think Apple would probably let an apple in a non-technology, education-related logo slide, but I understand why the company sent VBST a letter in this case. The school will probably change the logo before Apple takes any legal action, since just defending a lawsuit could be a bit on the expensive side,” Justin Berka explains for Ars Technica.
Even though the infringement is being done by a school, and they are not selling products directly, the way it is being used in the image above is grounds within itself to confuse potential students. When the school’s vice president said that the logo has never been confused with Apple’s, he is not making a good case for his, or his student’s perception to reality. If a student based within a technology environment can look at that logo and not see a resemblance to Apple Inc, then that student needs to re-evaluate his career path. Berka from Ars Technica is most likely right in this case, claiming that the school probably does not have the funds to stand up to a legal strong arm like this. We expect the logo to change before any legal recourse is taken.
