Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Apple is finding itself on the losing end of yet another prolonged legal battle with Swatch over the use of the “one more thing” catchphrase. Although it’s obviously hard to claim ownership of such a banal combination of frequently used words, the phrase has long been associated by tech fans with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and other Apple announcement events.
Despite what common sense might seem to dictate, Swatch attempted to trademark the catchphrase coined by the late Steve Jobs, which was originally (and rather predictably) denied in the UK. But following the Swiss watchmaker’s appeal, it appears that a different judge in the same country has decided to overrule the initial verdict, finding no evidence that the company’s trademark intentions exhibited “bad faith.”
While Judge Iain Purvis admitted Swatch may well have aimed to “annoy” Apple with its original trademark application, that in itself was not considered reason enough to block the company’s efforts. As such, Swatch is now free to not only continue using the disputed phrase at will, but trademark it as well, at least in the UK… and Australia.
The inexplicable war between Apple and Swatch is undoubtedly set to rage on even after this latest court ruling, despite the two companies gunning for different audiences in different industries. It’s difficult to believe anyone ever considered buying either a “modern” smartwatch or a classic timepiece, and there’s clearly room for both product categories in the limelight today.
The “one more thing” phrase, of course, which Steve Jobs himself may have “borrowed” from 1970s TV show character Columbo, is only one area of contention between Apple and Swatch. The two companies have previously butted heads over “iSwatch” and “iWatch” trademarks, as well as the “Tick Different” publicity slogan used by the veteran Switzerland-based watchmaker, and almost every single time, Apple has had to admit defeat.
