Friday, March 31, 2006

Who Owns Apple?


When the ipod and the Beatles are fighting, who do you root for?

Seems there's been a trademark infringement suit between the two companies. (As you may know, the Beatles' started Apple Corps in 1968). The two companies left each other alone for a long time. After all, one made music and one made computers.

Then Apple released the ipod. Now both companies are in the music business. And the Beatles aren't happy.

Nothing in business is simple (a lesson I've had to relearn as I look for a new job). You can't just agree to leave each other alone without lawyers bothering you for years. A simple disagreement becomes a complex web of paper and phone calls until no one knows what the hell is going on anymore. Distrust is an evergreen industry, you see. But every now and then someone strips the problem back down to its basic truth. And today it's actually a lawyer:

Attorney Anthony Grabiner said "even a moron in a hurry" could distinguish between the computer company's iTunes online music business and a record company like Apple Corps.

3 comments:

Cromely said...

Through in the New York State board of Toursim, and the Washington State Apple Commission, and you'll have a real sauce on your hands --- an apple sauce.



Oh come on, you can tell that to any woman at a bar and before you know it she'll be asking you to sit be-cider self.

Anonymous said...

you mean to tell me that apple computer's itunes and the beatles apple corps records are not the same company!?

you'll have to excuse me, i'm in a hurry...

Walker said...

In the words of Chubsy Ubsy...."awe Applesauce"