Apple wins trademarks for Apple Store design and layout

Apple store interior

Apple Stores provide an unmistakable, unique shopping environment. The company has spent years perfecting the look and feel of its retail shops, with their large glass windows, clutter-free product tables and walls of accessories.

And it looks like Apple will now be able to protect all of that hard work with a few newly acquired trademarks. This past week, the US Patent and Trademark office granted the company trademarks on its retail design and layout…

Reuters reports:

“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple’s request last week for trademarks on the minimalist design and layout of its retail outlets, the office’s records show.

The description of the trademarks includes “a clear glass storefront surrounded by a paneled facade” and, within the store, an “oblong table with stools…set below video screens flush mounted on the back wall.”

The big deal here is that Apple has seen a number of fake Apple Stores pop up in China and other countries over the past few years. And these new trademarks could help the company take them down more quickly and effectively.

It’s also worth noting that several large companies have said they plan to makeover their retail stores in Apple-like fashion, including Verizon and Best Buy. It’ll be interesting to see if these new trademarks will effect those plans.

Apple announced during its latest earnings call that it now has 396 Stores, 150 outside of the US. Each of them sees, on average, 23,000 weekly visitors and earn $3,017 in sales per square foot—more than any other US retailer.