Apple objected to a European trademark filing from a Chinese keyboard maker because the logo the company wanted to use was too close to Apple's own logo. The EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) partially refused to grant a European Union Trade Mark after Apple opposed the filing. The company, Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co., makes mechanical keyboards and keycaps, according to its website , though it also seems to sell solar panels. The logo the company uses is a citrus fruit with the bottom segments turned into keyboard keys, with a green leaf angled to the left at the top of the fruit and a missing section on the right side. Part of the company's name translates to a citrus fruit, which is likely the reason behind the design. Apple argued that the logo resembled an apple with a detached leaf and a bite, which the EUIPO did not agree with. It found the perfectly round shape of the logo did not track with the shape of an apple, and that it looked more like an orange. The opponent argues that the figurative element of the contested sign also consists of an apple device with a detached leaf and a bite. However, the body of the figurative element consists of a circle (despite the missing part) and apples are not perfectly round. Furthermore, apples are not normally depicted in such a shape which is, in any case, more akin to an orange or other round-shaped fruits. Therefore, while the Opposition Division agrees that the figurative element of the contested sign is likely to be perceived as depicting a fruit of some sort and that the detached oblong shape is therefore also likely to be perceived as depicting a leaf, in view of its round shape together with the relatively generic leaf shape, it will not be immediately associated with any fruit in particular but rather with a round-shaped fruit in general. It follows from the above that, in the present case, the relevant public will perceive the contested application as a highly stylised round-shaped fruit bearing additional fanciful figurative elements. In particular, the triangular shapes, due to their arrangement, may be seen as segments. Furthermore, the square and rectangular figures in the lower part, again by virtue of their arrangement, may evoke a keyboard. The EUIPO did acknowledge that there were some "minor commonalities" between the two designs, but also noted numerous differences. Overall, the two logos were found to be "visually similar, albeit to a very low degree," and the EUIPO concluded that the "signs are not conceptually similar." Even though the EUIPO did not feel that the citrus fruit logo looked like an apple, it largely decided in Apple's favor because of the strength of Apple's reputation in the EU and the potential for customers to "establish a mental 'link' between the signs." Apple claimed the citrus fruit logo would take unfair advantage of Apple's reputation, and the EU agreed. Apple's argument: Given the immense reputation of the Opponent's Earlier Mark, it is hard to believe that the Applicant's intention was not, at the very least, to bring the Opponent's Apple Logo to mind in some way. More likely, the Application represents a deliberate attempt to take advantage of that reputation to offer identical and highly similar goods. As a result, the addressed public, when confronted with the Applicant's sign, will wrongly assume that the Application indicates a connection to Apple (i.e. that the Applicant is a supplier or manufacturer). Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co. is not able to continue with the trademark process for keyboards or any other related computer goods, but the application to use the logo for solar panels will proceed. The company is able to file a notice of appeal in the next two months. Apple and Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co. also had a trademark dispute in the U.S., but the trademark application was terminated after the Chinese company failed to respond in opposition proceedings. Apple has objected to fruit-related logos several times in the past. It sued the developers behind an app named Prepear because the app used a pear-shaped logo that had a leaf, and it objected to an apple logo used by a Norwegian political party . Apple opposes dozens of trademark applications every year in the U.S. and other countries. Tags: European Union , Trademark This article, " Apple Wins EU Challenge Over Keyboard Maker's Citrus Logo " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The leaker " Instant Digital " today revisited their February design report on the foldable iPhone, claiming the device's internal design will make it the easiest-to-disassemble and easiest-to-repair foldable phone in the industry. In a new post on Weibo, Instant Digital said the device's "incredibly rigorous underlying engineering logic" has "truly paid off," and predicted that teardown videos will vindicate the earlier claims once the device ships. The leaker described the internal component stacking as "logical yet elegant," and said the design eliminates the complex ribbon cable routing that typically complicates disassembly in competing foldables, achieving instead what they called "a truly high level of modularity." The comments appear to be a callback to Instant Digital's February 2 report , which offered several design details about the foldable iPhone, including volume buttons relocated to the top edge of the device, Touch ID and Camera Control on the right side of the device, an iPhone Air-style camera plateau, a single punch-hole front-facing cameras, and just two color options. That report also touched on the device's internal design language, which the leaker now suggests is even more significant than readers initially appreciated. At that time, Instant Digital explained that the device's motherboard is apparently located on the right side of the device. As to not run cables across the screen to the left side for the volume buttons (where they are located on all other iPhone models), Apple is said to have decided to run them directly upwards, which maximizes internal space. The internal structure purportedly features an innovative stacked design, with the space being almost entirely dedicated to the display and battery. It is also said to feature the biggest battery ever used in an iPhone. Instant Digital has reported on the foldable iPhone for quite some time. The leaker previously claimed the device will be around $2,000 at launch , that it will be eSIM-only , that Apple's foldable displays were nearing production in March, and that the device will ship in three storage capacities . Most recently, the leaker said Camera Control is seen internally as a key feature of the foldable iPhone. The foldable iPhone, rumored to be called the " iPhone Ultra ," is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max in the fall. The device is said to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover screen, the A20 chip and C2 modem, ‌Touch ID‌, and two rear cameras. Related Roundup: iPhone Fold Tags: Foldable iPhone , Instant Digital , iPhone Ultra This article, " 'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Industry's Most Repairable Foldable " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple is expected to finalize OLED panel approvals for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max this month, with Samsung Display and LG Display likely to dominate panel supply, reports The Elec . This year, China's BOE has reportedly been closed out of the premium tier supply chain, despite having landed some panel orders for the iPhone 17 Pro models. The setback is said to be down to quality and yield issues with its lower-temperature polycrystalline oxide-plus (LTPO+) technology compared to its South Korean counterparts. Indeed, it's the key upgrade at the center of the supply shake-up. South Korean publication ETNews previously reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models will use LTPO+ display technology, which would likely be more power efficient than the current LTPO technology in the iPhone 17 series. Such an upgrade could also contribute to longer battery life, since LPTO+ enables finer control of OLED light emission, potentially allowing the display to optimize its operation based on environmental conditions. The ETNews report from January also mentioned that the iPhone 18 Pro models will use under-screen infrared technology from Samsung, which could enable some Face ID components to move under the display. That could allow Apple to shrink the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro models -- but whether it will do is seemingly still up for debate . Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September. Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro Tags: Samsung , The Elec This article, " iPhone 18 Pro's LTPO+ Display Upgrade to Come From Samsung, LG " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
