Wapple sounds like Apple, but it’s not related to the American tech company. It’s a group of mobile web developers who work out of the UK. The company started in 2003, incorporated in 2004 and has been busy doing development ever since. Its name is not derived from Apple, but a play on the word WAP, a protocol used by early mobile browsers.

Apple, though, believes Wapple was benefitting from its brand association and filed a trademark complaint against the small company in 2007. The suit went all the way to the Intellectual Property Office in the UK, which recently ruled against Apple in three separate filings.

In the proceedings, Wapple noted that its customers knew they were working with independent web developers, not Apple and said customers never confused the two companies. It was a critical win for the small company. “The action taken by Apple Inc. to oppose our trade mark [sic] has tested our resolve and we are delighted with this outcome,” said Anne Thomas, co-founder and COO of Wapple.

[Via Tech Crunch]