No apple for Vancouver Island school, says computer corporation

Last Updated: Monday, October 6, 2008 | 4:28 PM ET

CBC News

A well-known computer company has told a Vancouver Island school to drop its apple logo.

The Victoria School of Business and Technology started using a blue and green apple logo in 2005, but two weeks ago the school received a cease and desist letter from Apple Inc. in the U.S., telling it to get rid of the logo.

"Your business logo…reproduces, without authority, our client's Apple design logo which it widely uses. By doing so, you are infringing Apple's rights, and further, falsely suggesting that Apple has authorized your activities," Apple's lawyer Stephanie Vaccari wrote in a letter to the school dated Aug. 26 and later posted on the school's website.

Christopher Boag, the school's vice-president, said he knows the school can't win in a lengthy legal battle with Apple Inc., but he believes the school's apple is a unique logo.

"Our logo is unique and distinguishable in numerous aspects from the Apple logo including the acronym 'VSBT' being part of our logo. Are you suggesting that anyone using any variation of an apple for technology education is infringing on Apple's trademark?" school president Dieter Gerhard responded in a letter also posted on the school's website.

Boag said the cease and desist order is ironic considering the school uses a large number of Apple computers in its facilities.

The school is asking the public what they think about the two symbols, with an informal poll on its website.

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