In an application filed in Australia on August 27th, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is trying to trademark the word “startup,” which will cover a wide range of products and services. Apple filed the application along with the Sydney branch of law firm Baker & Mckenzie, says Tm Watch, which first noted the application.
Services where Apple intends to use the trademark
The Cupertino-based company wants to employ the trademark for various store services; the maintenance, installation and repair of computer hardware and other devices; educational services, including classes, workshops and seminars in the field of computers, computer software, computer peripherals, mobile phones, and consumer electronic devices and computer-related services; technological consultancy services in the field of computers, computer software and consumer electronics; computer diagnostic services; computer data recovery etc.
Apple already filed a similar application in US, China
In 2011 Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) filed for this trademark in the United States and China, says a report from Wired. Authorities gave the company a preliminary trademark and reserved the decision up to the consultation period, allowing anyone to file an objection against the trademark. Obviously objections were raised, and in the U.S. Apple has been given until September 20th to reply to the objections.
The new trademark application filed in Australia comes under the same international registration rules as the applications filed in the United States and China. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is hoping to benefit from the Madrid system, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Under this system, if a company can get a trademark registered in any country that has signed the Madrid agreement, the trademark will apply in all other countries.
Such trademarks may be misused
In Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s application, the classes mentioned lack comprehensiveness as they only cover specific uses of the word ‘startup’. In the past, there have been cases where a big company has taken action against those who try to offer dissimilar goods and services by taking cover under the trademark. One such example is of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) when it attempted to sue a teacher’s network called Teachbook.
