Apple’s retail stores are iconic. Some more than others (5th Avenue and Shanghai come to mind) but there aren’t many high street stalls that compare in design and simplistic layout. You may have also noticed, that most of them tend to look almost identical. They all have the same tables, the same Genius bar, shelves of accessories etc. Turns out, Apple applied for a trademark back in 2010 for its brick and mortar stores.
The trademark has been waiting for approval for almost 3 years, and has finally been awarded by the USPTO. Specifically, it covers the all-glass storefront, recessed lighting, Genius Bar and even those immediately recognizable tables.
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 clearly feels incredibly proud of its retail presence (as it should) and will be pleased to finally have this trademark nailed down. That said, I doubt it’ll stop knockoff stores appearing in China. Seemingly Apple’s patents make do difference there.
Having lost what seemed like an obvious win for Apple against Proview, it’ll be interesting to see if its legal standing gets stronger as it seeks to increase its presence in the world’s most populous country.
