Sometimes Apple Computer really amazes me. In 1980 a small operating system company from Des Moines, Iowa created an operating system called OS-9. It was a good operating system geared specifically for the new 6809 microprocessor. Microware would port their OS to new chips as they came out. 68000, x86, MIPS, whatever.
Then Apple created an operating system called Mac OS 9. Microware sued Apple claiming that they were stealing their trademark. Trademarks are given only for a specific market segment. That is why one company can have a Mac trademark for a computer product, and another company can have a Mac trademark for a cosmetics product.
But Microware had the OS-9 trademark for the computer operating system market segment. This required them to litigate Apple. If they didn’t they might loose their trademark.
It turned out Apple won that lawsuit, Apple convinced a judge that Microware actually had a trademark in the realtime operating system market segment and Apple had a trademark in the desktop operating system market segment. This argument was a bold move by Apple that worked. I was amazed.
Now I learn that Apple has won their trademark lawsuit (and a breach of contract lawsuit) against Apple Corp. The judge said Apple Computer is in the business of selling music and Apple Corp. is in the business of selling the Beatles. Again, I am absolutely amazed.