MAM
The forbidden fruits and singing bananas
A very serious fight between Apple Computers and Apple Records of The Beatles is now headed for the ninth round.
On this side of the ring is Sir Paul McCartney, with the title of a legendary musical artist and boyish looks with a cute smile. On the other side, yet another youthful boy wonder, Steve Job with his intellect and a legendary title for being the first to lead the start of the personal computer revolution.
The fight is all about the name and use of the word “Apple”, and its right owners.
The Beatles have already, successfully defeated Apple Computers in the earlier rounds, as The Beatles formed Apple Records in 1958, when Steve was just toying with the wires in his garage. Apple Computers was formed much later, so they had to pay Apple Records some $25 million very quietly in a settlement after a long and very bitter and expensive battle. These fights are quite common, as long as picking names for corporate branding is considered a simple task.
Now, suddenly, right in the middle, the saga opens again. This time, the trouble was echoed, just by hitting similar musical notes on the innovation scale. It started with the creation of iTune. Simply put, both of the forbidden fruits deemed going into the same business of music. Now the battalions of American attorneys with high price blue suits and howdy-doody firm handshakes are engaged in pillow fights with the tight-lip, upper-crusted British solicitors of the Empire, suited in grey flannel, costumed wigs and all. The sun already set on this empire a long time ago but the zesty spirit is still there. Right on.
“Order! Order! Order!”
The story is so simple and the lesson ever so very clear. Never name a company after a fruit. Now for all those corporations whose corporate branding originated out of a botanical or a zoological expedition, this should be a big lesson and a serious warning. Look out, the serpent cometh your way. Sooner or later, the fruit basket will be kicked and legal fights will start. Watch out for the tumbling of corporate brand identities the likes of Oranges, Pineapples, Apricots, Cherries and Peaches, as periodically, they all have their days in court and most fade away in the long haul. Apple Records and Apple Computers are now two rare examples of such survivals in the modern times.
It is suggested that the fight is so intense that keeping aside the famous large class-action suits; this settlement would be the largest amount in legal history. It has been reported that when this mind-boggling amount is introduced, there will be a possibility that Apple Records could get a chunk of equity from Apple Computers plus a board membership. Talk about a bite.
Mr.Banana
It is also said that The Beatles have suggested that Apple Computers should call itself a “Banana” or anything other than apple. Now, now where are their British manners? Are consumers really ready to carry “Mr. iBanana”?
The story gets bigger. The debate is on two fronts “name confusion” and “wares”. Wares are things for which a name is registered under and used and confusion comes when customers can’t identify the correct company. On ground on confusion, The Beatles were too picky to pick the first round as no one confused Apple Computers with Apple Records. Now the issue is “wares” and increasingly under the trademark laws “wares” are becoming problematic. Example, how do you differentiate easily between Media, Music, News, or Web, Internet, Computers, with Cable, Voice, or Technology? They all seem to be just one bundle of services.
iPod, iTune and related items are now in direct clash with vinyl records and music sheets. True, they are closely related this time. Who knew then, when Beatles in 1958 picked up the name “Apple” quiet innocently and so did Steve Job. That was then, this is now. The entire globe and entire markets shrank and it seems that everyone is now on top of each other. Corporate branding is no longer a game of picking names out of a hat.
It is very hard for trademark practitioners to look out for these merging technologies and changing perceptions. But then, most CEOs and corporate executives would not take a pre-warning from a trademark attorney seriously and rather proceed with a gung-ho launch of the name so that later Messer’s Howdy-Doody Attorneys can pay millions in damages, while corporation dodges from embarrassing court cases.
When will your corporation be in court to defend your corporate branding and your name identity? This can be established very easily. Enter your name in “quotes” in Google and if there are dozens of identical business names and they are also in your related business then it’s time you quickly start a legal-fund as the serpent cometh your way too.
MAM
Jaideep Singh Building an IP First Media Empire with Offbeet
Offbeet Founder on turning USPL into lifestyle IP, going global with 101India and AI-powered storytelling.
MUMBAI: Jaideep Singh, Founder of Offbeet Media Group, is building a bold, IP-first media company that spans sports, digital storytelling, and entertainment. With verticals ranging from the United States Premier League (USPL) to the youth-focused 101India, Offbeet is redefining how media houses operate by prioritizing original intellectual property over traditional agency models while maintaining a cohesive identity across diverse audiences.
In this insightful conversation, Singh discusses maintaining brand cohesion, pivoting toward IP ownership, convincing legacy brands to invest in long-form partnerships, leveraging cricket as a year-round lifestyle IP, and integrating AI to enhance emotional storytelling. More as he speaks to Indian Television Dot Com.
On maintaining a cohesive brand identity across USPL Sports to 101India, Offbeet achieves this.
Offbeet Media Group was designed to be a media IP-first company. Our consumer-facing brands, USPL and 101india operate as standalone universes and content, each serving different set of audiences and communities. At the core, our target group spans 18 to 44 year-olds, with 101india being more youth-focused, telling unique stories of India to both Indian and global audiences. Meanwhile, the United States Premier league is a thriving new league, approved by the ICC, and has now announced its fourth season.
On pivoting to IP ownership over the traditional agency model, Offbeet makes this shift.
As I mentioned earlier, this has always been our strategy, so it’s not a pivot, but a deliberate design. While we have been aggressively building our agency business across government and corporate sectors, our vision is to build a diversified media company with insight-driven content at its core, serving both B2C and B2B audiences. This approach is both our strength and the engine driving our growth.
On shifting legacy brands from 30-second spots to long-term IP partnerships, Offbeet convinces them.
Well, this aspect is often driven by people in the driving seats on the brands end. However, with increasing media clutter, it is becoming easier to help brand custodians appreciate that long-form IP ultimately builds communities and fosters deeper emotional connections with their target audience. Having said that, I believe that there needs to be a healthy mix of IP-led initiatives and traditional 30-second formats. In today’s media landscape, one needs to find the right balance. Brands who innovate with a healthy mix are the ones which break the clutter and stand out.
On making 101India’s hyper-local stories resonate globally, Offbeet follows this strategy.
We are a country of 1.45 billion people and therefore, 1.45 billion stories. 101india aims at finding the most unique or untold stories and spotlight them. Our strategy is simple: identify these unique stories, present them in formats that are friendly to the digital community and spark conversations, where possible. Because no matter which strata or community you represent, everyone loves a good story! From dacoits of Chambal to androgynous fashion, and everything in between, these stories, when told sharply and authentically, have the power to resonate universall.
On turning USPL into a year-round lifestyle IP, Offbeet leverages cricket.
The USPL was our bold first-mover step into the world’s largest sports market. And with it now entering into its fourth season, after delivering 3 successful editions with global broadcasting, it continues to support the growth of cricket in the USA. The brand is now well-positioned to take its next big leap. Plans for this are already in motion, and we will be making some exciting new announcements soon. Our aim is to be innovative and clutter-breaking, attracting a larger audience base in the U.S. market. We are also entering into some interesting associations across cricket stadiums and the sports tech space, which will be announced soon.
On translating content across Music, Studios, and Creator ecosystems amid platform fatigue, Offbeet succeeds.
We haven’t yet fully approached our IPs with the intent of making them transcend across our media brand ecosystem. While there have been tactical cross-promotions, a truly integrated IP that spans all our media brands is still in the works. That said, our first theatrical venture, Vadakkan, leveraged USPL and 101india for promotions, with Offbeet Music owning the music rights for the franchise. This marks our first step in that direction. The bigger, more integrated play is yet to come.
On using AI to cut costs while deepening emotional impact of IPs, Offbeet integrates it.
We are approaching this as a process of integrating a mix of tools into our workflows across departments – creative, writing, production, post-production, and casting. We believe in a hybrid approach where human touch and creativity remain at the forefront, while technology and AI act as enablers to drive efficiency, speed, and clearer visualisation. This ultimately helps the final output stand out and capture the attention of the audiences it is meant for.
On scaling as a 360-degree media house, Offbeet’s North Star metric for successful IPs in 2026 is this.
It largely depends on the kind of IP we are talking about. At a macro level, as we move into an increasingly technology-first world, media IPs need to have seamless adaptability across digital, social, and AI-driven landscapes as a baseline. We also need to evolve towards building media IPs as brands in themselves, designed from inception to enable successful extensions into consumer and technology products. This is an area that the Indian media and entertainment industry is yet to fully exploit, while the Western market has already set strong benchmarks.
