Apple successfully trademarks Apple Store design and layout

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week granted Apple a trademark for the unique design of the company's brick-and-mortar retail outlets, a process nearly two years in the making.

Apple Store TM
Source: USPTO


First applied for in May of 2010, Apple's newly minted trademark was awarded on Jan. 22 and covers the Apple Store's distinctive all-glass storefront and facade, recessed lighting, Genius Bar and rectangular tables, among other design cues.

The trademark goes into detail regarding the store's layout:
There are cantilevered shelves below recessed display spaces along the side walls, and rectangular tables arranged in a line in the middle of the store parallel to the walls and extending from the storefront to the back of the store.
Apple Stores are known to offer a consistent experience that customers have come to enjoy, with stores in China being nearly identical to those in the U.S., save for minor tweaks necessitated by each location's dimensions. Apple's success has prompted other companies like Microsoft to mimic the open-space layout to mixed results.

In 2011, a number of "knockoff" Apple Stores popped up in Kunming, China, prompting a government investigation that resulted in the closure of the counterfeit operations.

As noted in Apple's quarterly earnings conference call for the first fiscal quarter of 2013, the company's retail segment generated an average revenue of $16.5 million with an average 396 stores open. In total, Apple Stores saw a record 121 million visitors over the three month period ending in December, compared to 110 million a year ago.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    I can't see any future legal battles involving this ridiculous tm. I'm sure it'll just win every time.
  • Reply 2 of 28
    tkell31tkell31 Posts: 216member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cameronj View Post



    I can't see any future legal battles involving this ridiculous tm. I'm sure it'll just win every time.


     


    All glass front, rectangular tables, shelves and recessed lighting...too bad no other companies ever thought of that.  


     


    Things like this are not very encouraging.

  • Reply 3 of 28
    andreyandrey Posts: 108member


    OMG, our local Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile stores are in serious trouble, same design. image

  • Reply 4 of 28
    What is the Microsoft store going to do now?
  • Reply 5 of 28


    Granting a trademark is the first step to having it ruled invalid. /s

  • Reply 6 of 28
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    I presume the 2-row table isn't mandatory; my town is getting an Apple store and I don't think there's enough space. Though difficult to tell for you guys from just pics:
    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/19866/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/19867/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/19868/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
  • Reply 7 of 28
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    pentae wrote: »
    What is the Microsoft store going to do now?

    Good point!
  • Reply 8 of 28
    How about the wheel? Who invented it?...I bet we all use it:)
    I think is stupid they patent a store design. They should focus on creating new products instead of wasting time in courts fighting on stupid things.
  • Reply 9 of 28
    wardcwardc Posts: 150member


    The unique design: They actually use "brick" and "mortar" in their stores. Thus, brick-and-mortar is coined. Apple just patented the use of brick and mortar. Nice one! Good job Apple. Next up, they will be patenting the use of air to breathe or the color white.

  • Reply 10 of 28

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pentae View Post



    What is the Microsoft store going to do now?


     


    They can just rearrange the deck chairs...

  • Reply 11 of 28
    Um, this is more about them getting injunctions etc when people like Samdung (the small s on my mac keyboard isn't working) use it in advertising etc etc. No one outside of China would actually build a store exactly like a....

    Smart move of theirs even if most you don't see the reasons.
  • Reply 12 of 28


    Originally Posted by gijoeinla View Post

    Um, this is more about them getting injunctions etc when people like Samdung (the small s on my mac keyboard isn't working) use it in advertising etc etc.




    But even when Samsung willfully infringes, they get away with it. Why bother protecting anything you do?

  • Reply 13 of 28
    jb510jb510 Posts: 129member


    Next week Apple patents the wheel....



    Seriously though, there store design is pretty unique and recognizable.  I just don't know that it's so unique as to warrant a patent.  Were there really not other stores with glass fronts, shelves against the walls and an open path down the middle to a service desk prior to this?

  • Reply 14 of 28

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pentae View Post



    What is the Microsoft store going to do now?


    My first thought - do nothing as those stores will eventually die off on their own.

  • Reply 15 of 28


    I have always thought that, if you remove all the Apple products, the Apple Stores can be easily converted into Buddhist temples (and the genius guys into spiritual advisors).

  • Reply 16 of 28

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by waybacmac View Post


    My first thought - do nothing as those stores will eventually die off on their own.



     


     


    No ! Microsoft is invincible !!!!!!!


     


     


     


  • Reply 17 of 28


    I was at the mall this weekend and heard someone mistake the Microsoft Store for the Apple Store. They were right in front of it too - pointing.


    Should have stayed around to see their disappointment upon entering it.

  • Reply 18 of 28
    macrulezmacrulez Posts: 2,455member


    deleted

  • Reply 19 of 28


    Apple has patented everything (or attempted to) within their field of vision from Day 1.


     


    One of the smartest and most farsighted policies I've ever heard of.  

  • Reply 20 of 28
    quadra 610 wrote: »
    Apple has patented everything (or attempted to) within their field of vision from Day 1.

    One of the smartest and most farsighted policies I've ever heard of.  

    Indeed. Who knows what we find in our shoes a decade from now...
Sign In or Register to comment.