Apple Utilise Tax Avoidance Cash Mountain To Block Trademark Application
Apple Inc. pursues ‘TCM Big App Store’ for alleged trademark breach
London UK, Wednesday 8th October 2014 – Following a last minute filing of an opposition to a trademark application, global giant Apple Inc who have the UK and EU Trade Mark ‘App Store’ are bringing to bear its huge financial weight in an attempt to force a UK company Apt Projects Ltd to change the name of their on-line TCM Big App Store, despite the company protesting that there are no grounds to the Apple claim.
In response to the action, Apt Projects Ltd has attempted to counter Apple's opposition to their Trade Mark application with a zany spoof of the ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ campaign, creating an ‘I can believe it’s not Apple’ website which tells the story of the issue.
Apt Projects Managing Director, Tony Rust commented “We certainly can’t match Apple financially, as we all know too well, they are arguably the most cash rich company in the world. Since their opposition is likely to hinge on the argument that the public will confuse the TCM Big App Store with the Apple App store, we thought we’d do a public survey to find out if that's true or not”
The company have set up the ‘I can believe it’s not Apple’ website - www.icanbelieveitsnotapple.com to show that the TCM Big App trademark is considerably different from Apple’s and to highlight the difference between what the two companies fundamentally sell.
Mr Rust continued “The term ‘phone app’ was introduced to mean software applications that ran on mobile phones. We are using the term ‘Big App” for software applications that run on PC’s and servers. We don’t sell mobile or phone apps, we sell TCM Big Apps which are business management software solutions designed for specific types of businesses, which run on your PCs or server networks. They make life easier by simplifying and automating many of the clerical tasks which are a drag on productivity. TCM Big Apps are full of clever time-saving and easy to use functions which remove work from the user and provide great reports. Examples would be CRM and sales force automation, or a system for a sports club or equipment hire, or tradesman type businesses - plumbers, heating engineers and the like.”
“We couldn’t be more different but Apple is being very precious about their ‘App Store’ trademark. It’s a bit rich really, Apple are an American company who have based themselves in Europe to avoid paying tax in the US. At the same time they are using the mountain of cash that they have saved by avoiding tax to steamroller a small UK company which does not object to paying its taxes into withdrawing a legitimate Trade Mark application.”
The TCM Big App Store is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness and bring on board investors for the new venture. The intervention by Apple Inc has not only caused huge disruption to the business launch and development, but has also potentially caused unwarranted damage to the chances of finding and securing funding and investment.
About Apt Projects Ltd
Apt Projects Limited came about in 1991 as sub-contract company for Davy Offshore which was engaged in North Sea Oil related projects. Tony Rust was first General Manager and then Managing Director. Tony Rust and Andrew Groom have been working together since 1988 on the development of a variety of software products which have been sold worldwide. The company aim to sell development kits to programmers and those with business know how so that they can develop their own modified, personalised business software and sell them online through the virtual TCM Big App Store.
Contact: Tony Rust
Email: customerservices@tcmbigappstore.com
Telephone: +44 1427 875103
Web: http://www.tcmbigappstore.com
http://www.tcmbigappstore.com/investor.php
www.icanbelieveitsnotapple.com
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