What happens when a tech startup and the world’s most famous band share the same name? In 1976, when Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computer, they walked straight into a branding conflict with Apple Corps, the Beatles’ parent company and record label founded in 1968.
By 1978, the Beatles’ company had sued the young computer maker for trademark infringement. A settlement followed, with Apple Computer paying $80,000 and agreeing to stay out of the music business, while Apple Corps promised to steer clear of computers. That truce, however, was short-lived.
From Music to MIDI: Another Round in Court
When Apple Computer introduced MIDI and audio recording features in 1986, Apple Corps cried foul. The legal battle dragged on until 1991, eventually ending with a $26.5 million settlement. Apple Computer could use its name in connection with software and hardware that delivered music, but not on physical music products.
Still, the disputes resurfaced over the launch of iTunes in 2003, culminating in yet another settlement in 2007. This time, Apple Inc. secured full ownership of the “Apple” trademarks, reportedly paying $500 million.
The Inside Joke Called “Sosumi”
Yet the lawsuits didn’t just play out in courtrooms. They left fingerprints inside Apple computers themselves. While working on the System 7 operating system in the late 1980s, sound designer Jim Reekes needed a name for a new alert tone. Originally called “Chime,” the legal team objected, fearing it sounded too musical and could provoke another lawsuit.
Reekes cheekily renamed it “Sosumi”—a phonetic pun for “So sue me.” In an interview with Boing Boing in 2005, he admitted he disguised the name as a Japanese term with no musical meaning to get it past lawyers. The name stuck, and until 2020, Apple Macs carried the “Sosumi” alert sound. Even now, the system file retains its original name, “Sosumi.aiff.”
A Subtle Dig That Lives On
The long legal saga between Apple Corps and Apple Inc. has been settled, but Apple’s gadgets still hold a playful reminder of the feud. Every time a Mac pings with the “Sosumi” sound, it echoes a defiant moment from Apple’s history—a digital wink at the Beatles’ lawyers.
The Associated Press and archived legal reports detail that the two companies settled disputes three times, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. But the real story is how a tiny sound effect became a lasting, if hidden, piece of Apple’s rebellious DNA.
The Beatles may have sung “Let It Be,” but Apple’s engineers found their own way of saying “So sue me.” And while the courtroom battles are over, the legacy of this unlikely rivalry still hums quietly inside Apple’s products, proving that sometimes the most enduring tech stories are the ones hidden in plain sight.
By 1978, the Beatles’ company had sued the young computer maker for trademark infringement. A settlement followed, with Apple Computer paying $80,000 and agreeing to stay out of the music business, while Apple Corps promised to steer clear of computers. That truce, however, was short-lived.
From Music to MIDI: Another Round in Court
When Apple Computer introduced MIDI and audio recording features in 1986, Apple Corps cried foul. The legal battle dragged on until 1991, eventually ending with a $26.5 million settlement. Apple Computer could use its name in connection with software and hardware that delivered music, but not on physical music products.
Still, the disputes resurfaced over the launch of iTunes in 2003, culminating in yet another settlement in 2007. This time, Apple Inc. secured full ownership of the “Apple” trademarks, reportedly paying $500 million.
The Inside Joke Called “Sosumi”
Yet the lawsuits didn’t just play out in courtrooms. They left fingerprints inside Apple computers themselves. While working on the System 7 operating system in the late 1980s, sound designer Jim Reekes needed a name for a new alert tone. Originally called “Chime,” the legal team objected, fearing it sounded too musical and could provoke another lawsuit.
Reekes cheekily renamed it “Sosumi”—a phonetic pun for “So sue me.” In an interview with Boing Boing in 2005, he admitted he disguised the name as a Japanese term with no musical meaning to get it past lawyers. The name stuck, and until 2020, Apple Macs carried the “Sosumi” alert sound. Even now, the system file retains its original name, “Sosumi.aiff.”
Due to legal issues with the Beatles' company, Apple had to rename all music-related sounds on their early Mac computers
— UberFacts (@UberFacts) April 1, 2023
They changed the "Xylophone" alert sound to "Sosumi," claiming it was Japanese, but the name actually comes from "so, sue me!" pic.twitter.com/6ah1QogSkf
A Subtle Dig That Lives On
The long legal saga between Apple Corps and Apple Inc. has been settled, but Apple’s gadgets still hold a playful reminder of the feud. Every time a Mac pings with the “Sosumi” sound, it echoes a defiant moment from Apple’s history—a digital wink at the Beatles’ lawyers.
The Associated Press and archived legal reports detail that the two companies settled disputes three times, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. But the real story is how a tiny sound effect became a lasting, if hidden, piece of Apple’s rebellious DNA.
The Beatles may have sung “Let It Be,” but Apple’s engineers found their own way of saying “So sue me.” And while the courtroom battles are over, the legacy of this unlikely rivalry still hums quietly inside Apple’s products, proving that sometimes the most enduring tech stories are the ones hidden in plain sight.
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