What happen:

For the last two months we have been scared silent.  A behemoth of a corporation like Apple Inc was suing my small nonprofit, supporting the autism community, over the use of an apple logo! Our lawyer suggested we remain quiet and maybe Apple lawyers would come up with some compromise.  But then Apple stop responding our request for negotiation.  And that's when we started seeing the flood of other Change.org petitions from small business being sued by Apple as well.  At that point we didn't want to stay silent anymore!

How it affects small businesses:

3.14 is a small nonprofit helping people with autism.  Any entrepreneur knows the importance of BRANDING in the digital age.  We spent several months and several thousand dollars out of our pocket working with a graphic artist on the prefect logo.  We chose the shape of an apple because we provide knowledge and training to the community on autism awareness and an apple represented teaching (a tradition dating back to the 1700s).   The pieces of the apple represent the many different shades of the autism spectrum, while the outline forms the shape of a pi symbol (pi=3.14).  The "Apple Pi" logo was prefect! We were excited and we went to the trademark office to make it official!  But Apple Inc. said people might confuse my symbol for theirs....people might think there is a partnership (even though 3.14 Academy focuses on community services and not hardware/software).  

Not only will we lose the time and money it took to create the logo.  We are also having to retain a lawyer for however long Apple Inc wants to continue this injunction.  We have had to delay money that would have gone to Police Training when Engaging with Persons with Autism, our First Responders Training Courses and Community Outreach events. We have had to delay putting our logo on the sign outside our office because we don't know if this logo will remain ours. This might be a drop in the bucket to Apple Inc...but it has seriously hurt 3.14 Academy and our services to the autism community. 

How you can help:

The premises of this injunction is that the public will be confused when any other company uses the word "Apple" or a shape of a fruit. So Apple Inc. is suing several small businesses that fit this category.  A billion dollar business like Apple Inc., needs to be more mindful of initiating frivolous lawsuits against small businesses.  Its an intimidation tactic and we wont stand for it!  

Please sign our petition and let Apple Inc know, they may be intimidating in a court of law, but they won't beat us in the court of public opinion!