Apple has filed a lawsuit in relation to the yet-to-be-released action-comedy film Apple-Man, seeking to halt its distribution – seemingly on the grounds that consumers may believe the film is associated with the tech giant.
iPhone in Canada reported that according to Vasyl Moskalenko, the Ukrainian film director who wrote and directed the film, Apple filed a notice of opposition and commenced trial proceedings against Apple-Man when the movie reached the post-production stage.
Moskalenko concluded his successful Kickstarter campaign worth €101,717 ($120,000) in 2020, and went on to produce his film about a superhero who has the power to levitate apples (the fruit).
He also noted that his movie has already won the approval of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but that Apple is now attempting to have the trademark registration application denied. Moskalenko said he was “open to any negotiations” and hoped the two parties could reach an agreement.
In the event of the denial of the trademark registration, Moskalenko is concerned that Apple would be able to demand the deletion of the film after its release.
This is not the first time Apple has gotten involved in slightly eyebrow-raising trademark disputes. Last year, the Cupertino firm opposed the trademark of Prepear’s logo, saying it too closely resembled Apple’s own logo, although the dispute was settled when Prepear slightly modified the pear’s leaf design.