{"id":15407,"date":"2018-01-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.smarteventi.it\/steve-jobs.html"},"modified":"2018-01-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-16T00:00:00","slug":"steve-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.smarteventi.it\/en\/steve-jobs.html","title":{"rendered":"How 2 Italian entrepreneurs trademarked Steve Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steve Jobs’ smartphones could be running Android OS within a few years, and you have to brothers from Naples to thank for this exquisite paradox. Their story is so peculiar that, if someone had written it as a screenplay, they would have been accused of lacking credibility. In a textbook \u201cDavid vs Goliath\u201d move, Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato won the legal case against Apple and are now the official owners of the name \u201cSteve Jobs\u201d<\/strong>, which was originally presented as a clothing brand, but may also start selling consumer electronics \u2013 although that might prompt a fresh lawsuit against them by the Cupertino company, which will likely be more careful of legal loopholes in the future.
\n<\/p>\n

If Steve Jobs were born in Naples…<\/h3>\n

\u201cIf Steve Jobs were born in Naples<\/em>\u201d is the title of a 2012 book by Antonio Menna, detailing the misadventures of two young computer geniuses, fighting to develop their ideas and their potential in Southern Italy, within a system that \u2013 unlike California in the 80s \u2013 does not make it easy for young talent to emerge. The author was overtly accusing Italy of crushing its own talent, by making it impossible for anyone with a brilliant idea to succeed in the byzantine and often murky maze of Italian bureaucracy. Technically, in 2012, Steve Jobs was<\/em> born in Naples, or at least the brand by that name as. It\u2019s not clear whether Menna\u2019s book sparked the Barbato brothers\u2019 curiosity, prompting them to investigate the brand name \u201cSteve Jobs\u201d. When they did research it, however, they made an interesting discovery: Apple Inc had neglected to trademark the name Steve Jobs, so they did<\/strong>. They intended to launch a clothing brand and they created a cheeky logo for it, adding a bite mark to the \u201cJ\u201d in \u201cJobs\u201d. Predictably, they were hit by a colossal lawsuit which, less predictably, they recently won.<\/p>\nNeed help starting your business in Italy? Call us today!<\/a>\n

The big J<\/h3>\n

Apple\u2019s lawsuit focused on the logo, particularly on the bite mark, which they alleged was copying their own. This proved to be a fatal mistake. The court finally deliberated that, since the letter \u201cJ\u201d is not a physical \u2013 much less edible \u2013 item, but a graphic sign, the bite mark can\u2019t be considered to be copying Apple\u2019s logo and is therefore a legitimate trademark<\/strong>. Having won their battle, the Barbato brothers proceeded to trademark the name in other countries too and are now happily selling clothing and accessories under the name of Apple\u2019s iconic cofounder and planning to expand. They implied in several interviews that they would like to branch out into consumer electronics and they have already sponsored a console videogame that will hit the market in a few months. However they are aware that, were their products to overlap with Apple\u2019s core production, they could be looking at another lawsuit. They also maintain that they were inspired by their namesake to \u201cstay hungry and foolish\u201d and therefore are open to young talent and willing to support any worthy and truly innovative project that will be submitted to them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The narrative<\/h3>\n

Whether you consider Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato to be clever geniuses or sneaky tricksters, one thing is indisputable: their narrative is a marketing winner<\/strong>. The young, fresh-faced entrepreneurs from a disadvantaged region, taking on the heartless, faceless corporate behemoth and winning against all odds. If one wanted to be cynical, this could be considered a superb marketing strategy, playing on our innate desire to see the weak take their revenge on the strong, the disenfranchised daring to challenge the super-powerful and being successful. If there is an embodiment of the American dream outside of America, this is probably it.<\/p>\nWant to work on your winning marketing strategy? Call us today for a free quote!<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steve Jobs’ smartphones could be running Android OS within a few years, and you have to brothers from Naples to thank for this exquisite paradox. Their story is so peculiar that, if someone had written it as a screenplay, they would have been accused of lacking credibility. In a textbook \u201cDavid vs Goliath\u201d move, Vincenzo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":15408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[1407],"tags":[1423,1495,1507],"yoast_head":"\nHow 2 Italian entrepreneurs trademarked Steve Jobs (and won the case against Apple)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato won the legal case against Apple and are now the official owners of the trademark Steve Jobs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.smarteventi.it\/en\/steve-jobs.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How 2 Italian entrepreneurs trademarked Steve Jobs (and won the case against 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