Russian Railways Sue Apple

Russian Railways has sued Apple Inc. for trademark infringement. According to reports, the suit is valued at $65,000. Although the exact reason for the lawsuit remains unclear, it is believed that the Russian Railways is suing Apple for using their logo in the App Store without permission. In a statement released by the Russian Railways (RZD) they claimed that the infringement relates to the RZD registered trademark, certificate number 341333 and the use of it in the Apple Store in pictures.

This isn’t the first time that Apple is facing a lawsuit from a railway service. In November, Apple paid $21 million to settle a copyright dispute with SBB, the Swiss railway operator that owns the design for its iconic station clock, which appeared to show up unaccredited in a new iPad app. It is alleged that the company’s logo was used for a “Railway Tariff” app. The application allows its users to track cargo delivery costs and delivery times across Russia.

In a strong statement by the Russian Railways, their spokesperson said, “Railways are determined to defend their “intellectual” property in a lawsuit case connected to the unauthorized use of the company’s logo in Apple’s online shop.” The Russian railways seem unwilling to back down without getting what they want. In a further statement they said, “RZD intends to protect its intellectual property, especially since the trademark is well known in the Russian Federation.”

The tech giant seems to have become a target of lawsuits in recent years. They are also currently involved in a lawsuit with Samsung. While in 2009, they were sued by Watch manufacturer Cartier. Apple’s resolve will be tested again following this lawsuit. But then again they could reach an out of court settlement by just removing the logo from the app store and agreeing to pay a smaller compensation fee. 

[Image via neftegaz]