tron@wpi.wpi.edu (Richard G Brewer) (02/25/89)
I found this in Info-Mac, rather entertaining, I thought...
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Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1989 9:13:03 CST
From: Werner Uhrig <werner@rascal.ics.utexas.edu>
Subject: I knew I tasted a "worm" in that Apple somewhere ...
[ a friend beat me to typing this in. (thanks, Jim)
it also made the national TV-news this morning ]
Thought you'd get a chuckle out of this. From the
_Austin_American-Statesman_ Thursday, Feb. 23, 1989, reprinted
without permission:
LONDON -
The company representing the disbanded pop group the Beatles is
suing Apple Computer Inc. in a dispute over the use of the
"apple" trademark, a lawyer for the company said Wednesday.
Nicholas Valner said Apple Corps Ltd. filed a lawsuit in the
High Court in London, accusing the California computer company
of violating a 1981 agreement. Under that agreement, Apple
Computer, founded in 1977, paid the Beatles an unknown amount
[!] for the right to keep using the famous apple trademark.
But the Apple Corps says Apple Computer violated stipulations
not to use the trademark "on any apparatus specifically
designed and intended for synthesizing music," he said.
Over the past few years, the computer company has developed
top-selling hardware with music synthesizing capabilities.
Apple Computer's latest, top-of-the-line Apple II (sic) and
Macintosh personal computers come equipped with circuitry that
allows them to play and synthesize music.
'It's a clear violation of the agreement," said Wayne Cooper,
an attorney for the recording company, which is equally owned
by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and the estate
of the late John Lennon. "If the computer company wants to
sell machines that make music, they will have to become banana
or peach, or something."
The suit seeks a court order requiring the computer company to
withdraw all products violating the 1981 agreement and pay
past-due royalties - plus 15 percent interest - on all sales of
music-making computers. Dataquest, a computer market research
company in San Jose, Calif., estimates that Apple Computer has
sold about 1 million computers with music-making capabilities.
Cooper estimated that past-due royalties could amount to $50
million to $200 million.
A spokesman for Apple COmputer declined to comment on the suit
or the ongoing dispute.
Analysts said the music company may be moving to protect its
position before its claim to the trademark is lost due to lack
of enforcement of its original contractual rights.
Apple Corps was founded in 1067 and its activities included
music releases under the Apple label and a chain of clothing
stores. The Beatles broke up in 1970. Some Apple Computer
histories trace the name to co-founder Steven Jobs memories of
working in the Oregon apple country, where he became convinced
apples are a perfect food.
Well, there you have it. Proof positive that there are too many
lawyers in this small world of ours. Gack.