Apple vs Apple

                                                                  

        Apple vs. Apple

Steve Jobs and STEVE Wozniak were right to worry about whether naming their new company Apple would cause trouble with the Beatle’s company, Apple Corps.

They were too inexperienced and naïve to hire a lawyer to formally investigate the question. But, in fact, their decision did spark a long-running feud between two of the world’s biggest Apples.

Once Apple Computer began getting attention, Apple Corps sued it. In 1981 settlement, Apple Computer agreed to stick to computers, leaving the music to Apple Corps.

In the late 1980’s former Beatle George Harrison saw that the Macintosh computer could be used to computer music and could include a device that would allow musician to program instruments. Apple Corps sued again.

After a month-long trial, the two sides reached a new settlement, with Apple Computer paying an estimated $26.5 million to resolve the issue.

The creation of iTunes store in 2003 reopened the old wound and led to another lawsuit. The two reached the final agreement in 2007, giving Apple control of all the trademarks, some of which is licensed back to the Beatles’ Apple Corps.

Even so, Beatles music wasn’t available on iTunes till 2010.

It was, as far too many stories noted over the years, a long and winding road.