A Swiss court has ruled in favour of watchmaker Swatch in an intellectual property dispute with Apple. The United States technology giant had complained that Swatch had ripped off its marketing slogan “Think Different”.
Apple took exception when SwatchExternal link, the largest watch producer in Switzerland, coined the term “Tick Different”. But the Federal Administrative Court has rejected the complaint, ruling that Apple’s advertising campaign slogan was not sufficiently well known in Switzerland to allow the US company to force Swatch to revoke its similar title.
“This means that the case must be dismissed,” the court said in its ruling published on Tuesday.
This is not the first time that Apple has duelled with Swiss firms over the issue of intellectual property rights. In 2012 Swiss Federal Railways complained that Apple had infringed its patent rights on its iconic Swiss clock design that hangs in stations throughout the country.
Swatch reported net sales growth of 6.1% last year to CHF8.5 billion ($8.5 billion) with net profits rising nearly 15% to CHF867 million. But the annual figures were below the expectations of analysts who warn that the company’s sales this year could be hit by a downturn in the Chinese economy.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Swissinfo's parent company, must restructure due to financial pressures and to stay competitive in the fast-moving media environment.
This content was published on
There has been a sharp decline in the consumption of single-use disposable plastic bags and reusable plastic bags in the Swiss retail sector.
This content was published on
A biometric Swiss identity card (ID) is expected to be available in Switzerland by the end of 2026. The Federal Office of Police and its federal and cantonal partners are working on a new ID card that features a chip.
Heatwave reduces output at Swiss nuclear power plant by 50%
This content was published on
The ongoing heatwave has forced the Beznau nuclear power plant, which relies on water from the River Aare, to halve its output.
Swiss continue to enjoy high social mobility, study shows
This content was published on
Opportunities for upward social mobility have remained intact in Switzerland since the 1980s. Social mobility is exceptionally high by international comparison, a study shows.
Swiss government affected by cyberattack on health foundation
This content was published on
Switzerland says a ransomware attack on the non-profit health foundation Radix that involved data being stolen and encrypted had also affected the federal administration.
Federal Council agrees to investigation into alleged Swiss-Russian spying affair
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland can open spying investigations into the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS).
Appeal launched against Starlink satellite antennae project planned in Swiss village
This content was published on
A group of Swiss citizens has filed an appeal against plans to install 40 Starlink satellite antennae in the mountain village of Leuk in southern Switzerland.
UBS launches buyback scheme for up to $2 billion in shares
This content was published on
UBS is starting a share buyback programme for up to $2 billion (CHF1.6 billion) in shares, in line with a plan approved at its annual general meeting (AGM) in April, the Swiss bank said on Monday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss Railways clocks up agreement with Apple
This content was published on
“The parties have agreed that the amount of the licensing fee and any further details on the licencing arrangement will remain confidential,” said railway spokeswoman Lea Meyer in a statement published on the company’s website on Friday. The railway clock was created in 1944 by Swiss electrical engineer and designer Hans Hilfiker. The red second…
This content was published on
The clock was the subject of a patent dispute which the railways settled with Apple in October 2012 for a widely reported but unofficial sum of CHF20 million ($21.5 million). Details of the arrangement remained otherwise confidential. Apple had used the Swiss station clock design without permission for its mobile operating system iOS6, released in…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.