Apple Cinemas vs. Apple Inc.

Apple Cinemas theater on Van Ness Ave. (Jessica Christian/Chronicle)

Apple has sued a theater company over copyright infringement:

Cupertino-based Apple Inc. has filed suit against Apple Cinemas a month after the small and relatively new East Coast movie theater chain expanded to San Francisco.

The Cupertino-based tech giant has filed suit against the movie exhibitor in federal court for copyright infringement, alleging that the brand is trying to trick ticket buyers into thinking that the two companies are affiliated.

Apple Inc.'s protectiveness of its entertainment brand is understandable, given that the iPhone company has expanded into movie production. Moreover, Apple Cinemas' case is not being helped if, as Apple Inc. alleges, the quality of the theater experience is poor and could harm the latter's reputation among confused movie-goers. [bold added]

A notable part of the lawsuit is that Apple Inc. contends its brand could be damaged by being associated with Apple Cinemas’ alleged lack of quality control. The suit highlights comments on social media that its theaters are “greasy,” “dirty” and “grungy,” with some complaining of tech issues, including the projection system and online purchase portal.

Normally I would be inclined to support the scrappy underdog, but if Apple's claims about Apple Cinemas' products are valid, then the tech giant will win not only legally but in the court of public opinion.

Note: The irony abounds. When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer in 1976, the Beatles' Apple Corps, founded in 1968, sued over trademark infringement. During the subsequent 30+ years Apple Computer broke agreements that it would stay away from the music business and paid the Beatles' company hundreds of millions of dollars until the dispute was finally settled in 2007.