2024-11-21T19:02:12-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/104326642/wait-you-can-trademark-the-layout-of-a-store Archinect 2014-07-16T14:39:00-04:00 >2021-02-15T12:25:42-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/05/05ced60f451da3ceee70083bc4ca0b8f?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The trademark effort was reportedly spurred by copycat competitors seeking to emulate the Steve Jobs-inspired minimalism (and massive business success) of Apple&rsquo;s retail store. Alleged store copycat Microsoft, by the way, has its own trademark on its not-at-all-inspired-by-Apple retail stores...</p></em><br /><br /><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/00/005c3a5e07ad382d4a0c137de80cf894.jpg"><br><em>Microsoft's trademark layout</em></p><p>Of course, it isn&rsquo;t just dueling technology giants trademarking their retail layouts. The term of art for this kind of intellectual property protection is &ldquo;trade dress,&rdquo; and it has long been a staple of the retail world.</p>