But not if you are Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
A very interesting story from MacJournals recounts the long-running dispute and litigation between the licensing arm for the Beatles, Apple Corps, and Apple Computer. Jobs won the most recent round in the England and Wales High Court.
Conventional wisdom was that Apple Computer would be a loser. But the Judge sided with that sometimes bad Apple, albeit for different reasons than those they put forth.
The article reprints a key provision from a 1991 licensing agreement, which the Judge used to construe the plain meaning of a key phrase as giving Apple Computer room to include music-related products under the “Apple” banner.
This result serves as a handy reminder to all litigators: the case really begins when agreements are signed; your transactional lawyers need to be talking to you early in the process.
Neither side thinks the dispute is over. No Garden of Eden in Apple-land. Yet.