Apple sued a Ukrainian indie film director, Vasyl Moskaklenko. He wrote and made a comedy film called Apple-Man.
This film is a satire with the superhero genre and the protagonist 'Apple Man' who has the super power to fly apples which he uses to fight his enemies.
The film was funded through Kickstarter and raised $120,000 to start the product. Apple Man itself has received approval from the Patent and Trademark Office (United States Patent and Trademark Office).
But Apple disputed the title of the film that used the word Apple. The Cupertino-based company has fought its trademark registration application against it with staunch resistance.
Launching from Gizmochina, Wednesday (2/2/2022) Apple has started the trial process because they are concerned that consumers are likely to believe that Apple Man is associated, approved or even endorsed by Apple.
Director Moskalenko also gave clarification. He stated that the film is about apples there is no mention of Apple as the name of a technology company in the film.
"If my application is rejected, there is no guarantee that Apple will not sue to remove my film once it is released," he said.
"This actually looks like trademark bullying. I still hope this situation is just a misunderstanding. I am open to negotiations and hope to resolve this dispute," he added.