The clink of the table tennis ball striking the paddle echoed in the room as Miguel Fernandez, a web developer with an eye for design, set up his next serve. His eyes glinted with mischief as he said, “Pranav, do you ever think about apples?”

apple trademark

Pranav Kapoor, an inventive front-end developer and currently Miguel’s table tennis adversary, frowned, looking perplexed. “The fruit or the tech company?” he asked, trying to anticipate Miguel’s next serve.

“The fruit, of course,” Miguel responded with a grin, launching the ball across the table.

Pranav deftly returned the serve, his curiosity piqued. “Why would I think about apples during a game of ping pong, Miguel?”

“Well, here’s a juicy bit of news for you,” Miguel said, returning the ball with a swift swipe. “Apple, the tech giant, is trying to trademark images of apples - the fruit, not the computers.”

Pranav missed his next shot, staring at Miguel in disbelief. “You’re joking, right?” he asked, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Miguel shook his head, a broad grin spreading across his face. “I wish I were, my friend. They’ve been trying since 2017, specifically a black-and-white depiction of a Granny Smith apple. They even managed to get a partial award from the Swiss Institute of Intellectual Property. But they’re not stopping there. They’re appealing for more.”

Pranav raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “How much more are we talking about?”

Miguel shrugged. “Rumor has it they want IP rights to all depictions of apples, not just the apple with the bite in it like their logo.”

Pranav laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s insane! What about the Fruit Union Suisse? They’ve been using an apple in their logo for over a century!”

Miguel’s smile faded a bit. “Yes, it’s a serious concern. If Apple wins, many companies and organizations might have to change their logos. And that’s not even considering the societal implications of trademarking something as universal as an apple.”

The two friends shared a moment of silence, the absurdity of the situation sinking in. The game of table tennis momentarily forgotten, they leaned against the table, lost in thought about the strange and fascinating world of tech.

“Tech world is a wild place, isn’t it?” Pranav finally said, breaking the silence, a wry smile on his face.

Miguel chuckled, picking up the ping pong ball. “Sure is, buddy. Now, are you ready to get back to the game, or should we discuss the legal implications of trademarking the concept of gravity next?”

As laughter filled the room, the game resumed, the echo of their conversation lingering in the air. The Apple logo would never look the same to them again.