Apple Sues Movie Theater Chain With Similar 'Apple Cinemas' Name

In a national tribunal successful Massachusetts connected Friday, Apple sued a tiny movie theatre concatenation named Apple Cinemas implicit alleged trademark infringement.


"Apple Cinemas is knowingly and intentionally utilizing the sanction Apple to sow disorder for its ain benefit," alleged attorneys for Apple, successful a complaint filed against each Apple Cinemas locations, and a Sand Media Corp Inc. institution connected to the chain.

Established successful 2013, Apple Cinemas maintained a constricted beingness successful the Northeastern U.S. until past month, erstwhile it opened a theatre successful San Francisco. The ailment alleges that Apple Cinemas is pursuing a nationwide enlargement crossed the U.S., including successful areas adjacent Apple's office and retail stores, starring Apple to instrumentality action.

"Faced with Defendants' program to grow to 100 theaters nationwide, arsenic good arsenic wide nationalist disorder astir Apple's engagement successful the theaters, Apple has nary alternate but to record this suit to support its marque and customers from deception," the ailment states.

Apple Cinemas presently has 14 locations, according to its website.

The suit alleges that the companies down Apple Cinemas person received aggregate warnings that the sanction would origin disorder among consumers. The ailment includes examples of immoderate radical believing that Apple Cinemas was owned by Apple, successful the remark sections of assorted online quality articles and societal media posts.

The archetypal informing came from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which successful October 2024 denied Sand Media Corp Inc.'s trademark applications for the "Apple Cinemas" and "ACX — Apple Cinematic Experience" marks, fixed they were apt to origin disorder with Apple's anterior trademark rights, according to the complaint.

Apple has precise beardown trademark rights successful transportation with a wide scope of goods and services, including movie distribution, its attorneys said.

The 2nd informing came successful December 2024, erstwhile Apple sent Sand Media Corps Inc. a cease and desist missive directly, according to the complaint. Apple's attorneys besides communicated with the institution by telephone and successful penning respective times, but it knowingly pushed guardant with its Apple Cinemas enlargement plans, the ailment adds.

As for however the Apple Cinemas sanction came to be? According to the complaint, the institution down the concatenation claims they adopted the sanction owed to a planned archetypal determination astatine the Apple Valley Mall successful Rhode Island, but they ne'er opened a determination there.

Apple is seeking some an injunction and monetary damages.
This article, "Apple Sues Movie Theater Chain With Similar 'Apple Cinemas' Name" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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