It’s more like a battle of the corporate attorneys than a lucha libre, but the lawsuits are flying between Apple Inc. and the Big Apple — and it’s all over a logo.
New York has a citywide initiative called GreeNYC that promotes 10 key goals, such as reducing global warming emissions by 30%, for giving New York a more sustainable future. That initiative has a logo:
This is the Web 2.0 version of Apple’s logo:
Apple says that the GreeNYC logo is too close to the computer maker’s, which will confuse people and lead to them, I don’t know, composting their old iMacs or something.
Apple filed its suit in September 2007. Then New York City filed a counterclaim. Then there were challenges and protests. All legal, mind you — no taking over Times Square with banners or the like. Frankly, trying to unravel who’s claimed what is a little confusing. I just love that something graphic designers create all the time is getting this much attention.
Besides, New York must face a possibility more chilling than an irate Steve Jobs. Look at the GreeNYC mascot:
And compare it to this still from the opening credits of a 1970s TV show:
If I were Mayor Bloomberg, I’d be looking over my shoulder for a vengeful Shirley Partridge.
This article was last modified on June 19, 2020
This article was first published on April 4, 2008
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