Central NY Musician Challenges Apple in Trademark Dispute

A US appeals court has ruled in favor of Charlie Bertini, a jazz musician from Central New York, in a yearslong legal battle against Apple Inc. over a federal trademark for "Apple Music." Bertini, founder of the AppleJazz Festival, had been using the "Apple Jazz" trademark since 1985. Apple claimed it had priority over Bertini's trademark rights based on its ownership of an earlier 1968 trademark from the Beatles' record label, Apple Corps Ltd. The court rejected Apple's argument, allowing Bertini to block Apple's bid for a trademark covering live performances in association with the name.