Legal Victory of Lilit ® Art Gallery Brand Against Apple Inc

The Lilit art brand succeeded in overcoming Apple Inc.’s objection regarding its legendary apple logo, and the final ruling of the Iranian Intellectual Property Commission was issued in favor of Lilit.

News text:

In an important intellectual property legal case, the Iranian art brand “Lilit” owned by Lilit® International Gallery managed to win against Apple Inc. This issue began when Lilit® sought to register its trademark in Iran. Apple sent an official letter to the Trademark Office, raising an objection and claiming that the use of the Lilit mark could lead to consumer confusion with Apple’s well-known brand. In this objection, Apple requested the suspension of Lilit’s trademark registration process.

However, after several years of legal struggle, the Objections Commission of the Iranian Intellectual Property Center thoroughly reviewed the case and documentation and found Apple’s objection unfounded. In the final ruling issued on July 30, 2021 (8 Mordad 1400), the commission stated that there was no effective similarity or associative connection between Apple’s trademark and Lilit’s trademark. Accordingly, Apple’s objection was rejected, and the registration of the “Lilit” trademark continued.

Although this ruling could legally be appealed within 60 days in the competent Iranian courts, Apple did not file any appeal. This case is recognized as a successful example of an Iranian art brand prevailing against one of the world’s largest technology companies.

Source:

• Iranian Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties – Intellectual Property Center (Commission Ruling dated 8 Mordad 1400)
• Lilit Art Newspaper