It’s easy to steal a logo, even if you don’t always intend to. Some logos are so ingrained in our subconscious that even if we try to think up an original concept, it is usually spawned by some sort of inspiration from another famous logo. What is the difference between logo theft and being inspired by someone else’s design? That is a very fine line, which gives lawyers a field day when dealing with copyright infringement.

A recent case of a possible stolen logo identity is between the well known Australian super store Woolworth’s redesign and the ever so popular, Apple logo. The recent redesign of the Woolworth’s logo, which is a peeled apple in the shape of a “W,” has created a stir since it slightly resembles Apple’s famous icon. Apple has pleaded with the government agency in charge of Australian trademarks to deny Woolworth’s application for the logo change. The decision has not yet been made, but if Woolworths wins,  they will have the right to put the logo on all their products, even their electronics.

Is this really a case of theft or does Apple just want to trademark anything that has the do with the popular fruit? What do you think?

-Nora Reed

Ah, college. What a great time in a young adult’s life to experience higher education, a chance to grow and mature, time to do a little partying and the sheer opportunity to gain a little independence. They say college years are the best years of your life and that is true for the most part. There is no other time in the future that is exactly the same. Most of us who thoroughly enjoyed college are always trying to get back there. Unfortunately, the time passes so quickly and right when we feel like we are adjusting, it ends, but it leaves us with a world of memories.

Higher education is a business, like any other. Both colleges and universities have to do their part in selling themselves to students to stir interest in their facilities. Of course, this means branding themselves, and displaying a great logo is a huge part of that branding. The logos for colleges and universities all vary in different ways, but are all very formal. Some have slogans and some display a coat of arms representing the history of the school. You can tell a lot by the logo such as an idea of the age of the school, it’s history and you can gain a feel for their branding efforts. The variety of logo designs is extremely interesting, but they all share a very professional look along with a bold font.

Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, has multiple logos to represent their very large, well known school. It’s easy to see that the school’s logo designers have put forth a successful effort in their development. All four examples involve some form of their famous Nittany Lion and their navy blue and white school colors.

A coat of arms for a college or university is used as a common symbol to represent the school. A coat of arms is a traditional design that represents a group of people or a family. The coat of arms usually contains ancestral designs within a shield. The symbols stand for ancestry and achievement. Most colleges or universities date back over a hundred years, therefore the coat of arms contains history and meaning. The details change from school to school, but the symbols celebrate pride.

College is a great accomplishment is a graduate’s life and once all that studying and hard work is done, there exists a sense of pride in an alumnus’s heart.  A great logo for a college is important since it’s not only all over the school, but the life of the logo continues as alumni proudly display it on clothes, bumper stickers or other merchandise. School logos become traditions, therefore an effort to be the best is well worth it.

-Nora Reed

Logos appear everywhere whether we realize it or not and wallpaper designs are a powerful way to display them. People who enjoy specific products often display the logo of that product proudly on their desktop or laptop screen. They are even popular on ipods or other mp3 players that have the option for wallpaper displays. Its great for these companies since it is a form of free or low cost advertising. All they have to do is create a nice looking wallpaper and make it available online and it helps them build their brand through common recognition.

These are just a few that I found, but there are so many others available through a simple search. Apple and Windows have countless designs and there were just too many to add. It seems they were one of the few starters of this trend, but it certainly makes sense and is a great way to display a logo.

-Nora Reed

As the weather gets colder, the leaves begin to change color and that familiar brisk smell fills the air. Yep, it’s that time of year again! Autumn is upon us and the leaves are changing colors. Pumpkin picking and Halloween are nipping at our heels and as we prepare for this season of events, I thought it would be fun to share some interesting logo designs that are inspired by the fall.

Orange, red and yellow are such great, classic Autumn colors. They are bright and set a nice tone. When the colors are paired with a great leaf design, its makes a great logo!

Google has a tendency of changing their logo based on current situations and Autumn is no different. Above are my two favorite Autumn Google Logos. They have that great feel for the season. The fall is a great time of year, but like most things, it goes by too quickly, which means winter is just around the corner.

-Nora Reed

If you were to travel to a foreign land, would you even think of abandoning your own country’s customs or anything else you may know? Most of us would not. It would be hypocritical to our own heritage, but maybe we should start thinking of that more often. It’s very possible that something we do, say or wear can be offensive to a foreigner’s customs or traditions. It’s true that we may not know if these things are offensive until we encounter a situation, but perhaps a little research before traveling would go a long way.

The Washington Nationals, based out of Washington DC, have had a few logo representations in the history of their team. Sometimes the letters “DC” are used to represent them on their hats or other merchandise and other times their full name appears over a baseball in their main logo image. They also have a curled “W” as their third representation.

During a recent trip to Israel, Tyler Allard, an assistant to Representative Jim Cooper, proudly wore a Nationals baseball cap throughout the airport. He didn’t give the cap a second thought until an Israeli airport security guard pointed to the logo on his hat with utter hatred and disgust, asking why he would wear such a hat. With laughter, the ensemble assumes that the guard is referring to the terrible performance of the American baseball team.

Their further experience of being quizzed over and over and having every inch of their luggage ravaged and searched is the reason I wouldn’t want to travel by plane very often. Apparently, green is a Palestinian color and the curly “W” of the Nationals logo closely resembles a Palestinian extremist symbol.

It makes you think twice about what to wear in the airport of a foregin country. A little thought into his clothing, and Tyler Allard could have saved himself the embarressment of having Israeli guards go through his unmentionables.