Apple Corps loses court case

The Beatles’ Apple Corps label lost its court case with Apple Computer this week, after claiming that iTunes conflicted with a trademark agreement inhibiting the computer brand from entering the music business, which was agreed in 1991. A High Court judge ruled that Apple Computer’s use of its logo on its iTunes download service is associated with retail activity rather than with music, and was not in breach of the agreement. Apple Corps and Apple Computer, which both use apple-shaped brand identities, first reached a deal to share the use of the Apple trademark in 1981.