Postscript on Apple

A friend sent me an update on my previous posting about Apple’s widely admired and, some would say, widely copied, store design. The Web site slashgear.com has revealed that Apple is seeking to trademark its store design and has filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The filings present a mark that "consists of distinctive design and layout of a retail store."

To read the full story, go to slashgear.com/apple-attempt-to-trademark-distinctive-apple-store-design-1885991/.

Name that store …

Familiarity breeds … success? Maybe that’s what the folks behind the new Sony flagship in Tokyo and Microsoft stores are hoping.

From the basic color palette to the display techniques to the approach taken to signage, the two formats have a lot in common. And not just with each other. Is it just me, or do both come off as not-all-that original variations of the Apple store? Aren’t there any new ideas out there?

Sony, Nagoya, Japan

Microsoft, Scottdale, Ariz.

Apple, San Francisco