It’s back to court for latest round of Apple dispute

AS THE unmistakable opening notes of the disco hit Le Freak thumped through the High Court in London yesterday, it was clear that Apple Corps Ltd vs Apple Computer Inc was not going to be a typical trademark lawsuit.

Apple Corps Ltd - owned by Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono and the estate of George Harrison - accused Apple Computer of violating a 1991 agreement by using the Apple name and logo to sell music downloads through its market-leading iTunes Music Store.

“Apple Computer can go into the recorded music business in any way they want. What they cannot do is use the Apple trademark to do it,” Apple Corps counsel Geoffrey Vos said in his opening statement.