Apple has demanded a South African reseller, The Notebook Company, hand over a handful of website domains in its use.
The Pretoria-based company currently owns a number of domains including iPad.co.za, iPad2.co.za, iPad5.co.za and iPad6.co.za, using them as blogs containing links to their online store. Apple have also asked for the domains of AppleLaptop.co.za and MacLaptop.co.za to be transferred.
Apple, which has made the request through its attorneys Adams and Adams, first came to blows with the reseller two years ago when it asked them to remove the Apple logo from its site. The Notebook Company did, replacing it with the word ‘Apple’.
Christopher Riley, managing director of The Notebook Company: “We use the AppleLaptop.co.za for commercial gain and we will be asking Apple if it is acceptable to them that we re-market AppleLaptop.co.za under Apple.Laptop.co.za and Laptop.co.za/Apple.
“We also use MacLaptop.co.za for commercial gain and, again, we will also be asking Apple if it is acceptable to them that we re-market MacLaptop.co.za under Mac.Laptop.co.za and Laptop.co.za/Mac.”
Riley argued their blogs served to aid the Apple brand and customer.
He said: “I understand that the iPad name is a trademark, which I have no rights over. But a site like www.iPad.co.za also lends value to Apple itself, and to the iPad community. We even offer free [email protected] email addresses from it.”
