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Trademark Ruling Breakdown
Classification of permitted and prohibited sectors for the contested logo.
Primary Sources
Apple Wins EU Challenge Over Keyboard Maker's Citrus Logo
Wednesday May 6, 2026 11:48 am PDT by Juli CloverApple objected to a European trademark filing from a Chinese keyboard maker because the logo the company wanted to use was too close to Apple's own logo. The EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) partially refused to grant a European Union Trade Mark after Apple opposed the filing. The company, Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co., makes mechanical keyboards and keycaps, according to its website, though it also seems to sell solar panels. The logo the company uses is a citrus fruit with the bottom segments turned into keyboard keys, with a green leaf angled to the left at the top of the fruit and a missing section on the right side. Part of the company's name translates to a citrus fruit, which is likely the reason behind the design. Apple argued that the logo resembled an apple with a detached leaf and a bite, which the EUIPO did not agree with. It found the perfectly round shape of the logo did not track with the shape of an apple, and that it looked more like an orange. The opponent argues that the figurative element of the contested sign also consists of an apple device with a detached leaf and a bite. However, the body of the figurative element consists of a circle (despite the missing part) and apples are not perfectly round. Furthermore, apples are not normally depicted in such a shape which is, in any case, more akin to an orange or other round-shaped fruits. Therefore, while the Opposition Division agrees that the figurative element of the contested sign is likely to be perceived as depicting a fruit of some sort and that the detached oblong shape is therefore also likely to be perceived as depicting a leaf, in view of its round shape together with the relatively generic leaf shape, it will not be immediately associated with any fruit in particular but rather with a round-shaped fruit in general. It follows from the above that, in the present case, the relevant public will perceive the contested application as a highly stylised round-shaped fruit bearing additional fanciful figurative elements. In particular, the triangular shapes, due to their arrangement, may be seen as segments. Furthermore, the square and rectangular figures in the lower part, again by virtue of their arrangement, may evoke a keyboard. The EUIPO did acknowledge that there were some "minor commonalities" between the two designs, but also noted numerous differences. Overall, the two logos were found to be "visually similar, albei...
Apple takes a slice out of a fruit-shaped trademark dispute in EU
In a real-life comparison of Apples and oranges, Apple convinced the EU Intellectual Property Office to partially refuse to grant a trademark, all for being too close to Apple's logo. Apple's lawsuits cover a lot of important and dull areas, such as patent infringement. However, sometimes Apple's litigious activities can go in some quite unusual directions. The latest was Apple's objection to a trademark filing in the EU from keyboard maker Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co. MacRumors reports Apple told the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) that the Chinese keyboard company's logo was too close in design to Apple's logo. Instead of an Apple, the offending logo was of a circular citrus with a single leaf on the top, as well as the removal of a section to the right-hand side. In the middle of the fruit were segments and squares resembling keys on a keyboard. The EUIPO was told by Apple that the citrus looked like an apple, because it was a fruit with a leaf and a bitemark. The EUIPO disagreed, as it looked like an orange thanks to its mostly-circular shape, as well as the triangular shapes looking like segments and not really Apple-like. However, the EUIPO did agree that, while there were many differences, there were still some similarities. They could be considered "visually similar, albeit to a very low degree." That said, the EUIPO still sided with Apple on the matter. Apple's reputation in the EU was a major factor, and consumers could look at the orange and make a "mental link" between the two companies. The EUIPO agreed with Apple that the orange logo was probably an attempt to use Apple's goodwill for its own purposes. Since Yichun Quinningmeng could come up with products that are similar or identical to Apple's in the future, consumers could "wrongly assume" a connection with Apple itself. It is a partial success for Apple, but a big one, as it has stopped the citrus from being used as a trademark in the EU for computer goods. However, the EUIPO still allowed the application to continue in use with solar panels. The EU wasn't the only venue for the trademark fight, as there was a similar one occurring in the United States. In that instance, Yichun Quinningmeng failed to oppose the complaint, effectively giving up the battle. Logo wranglingThis is far from the first time Apple has taken on other entities in trademark fights over logo designs. In 2019, it objected to a logo for the Norwegian Progress Party, which used an image of an apple with an...
Apple Wins EU Challenge Over Keyboard Maker's Citrus Logo
The EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) partially refused to grant a European Union Trade Mark after Apple opposed the filing. The company, Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co., makes mechanical keyboards and keycaps, according to its website, though it also seems to sell solar panels.
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court ...
Apple is mounting a legal appeal against the European Union's €500 million fine under the Digital Markets Act, positioning the case as the largest court test yet of the bloc's strategy to rein in Big Tech.
