Apple turns legal guns on Polish retailer A.pl

The Polish patent office said on Tuesday the U.S. maker of the iPad, iPhone and iPod had filed a complaint, accusing the website of copying one of Apple's icons to its logo and riding its coattails to win customers.

"Apple brand is widely recognised and the company says that A.pl, by using the name that sounds similar, is using Apple's reputation," patent office spokesman Adam Taukert said.

A.pl chief executive Radoslaw Celinski said: "The accusation is ludicrous". The firm, which is not currently using the logo in question, is looking at Apple's complaint.

A date for an official hearing has not been set yet.

The law firm Baker & McKenzie, which represents Apple in Poland, was not available to comment.

Apple was expected to launch a new iPhone on Wednesday.

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012