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WOOLWORTHS insists its new logo is a stylised W, or a piece of fresh produce; Apple thinks it is an apple, and the California-based technology company wants to stop Australia's largest retailer from using it.

Apple has mounted a legal challenge to prevent Woolworths from using the logo that now adorns its trucks, stores and products, arguing it is too close to its own.

The man who designed it, Hans Hulsbosch, said Apple was taking trademark protection ''to the extreme''.

''Based on this logic, they would have to take action against every fruitseller,'' Mr Hulsbosch said.

A trademark lawyer, Trevor Choy, said it was common for Apple to prevent anyone from using anything that resembled an apple in a logo or marketing.

''They are just covering off any eventualities,'' Mr Choy said.

But less than 5 per cent of such actions actually make it to court, he said. ''This is often the prelude to settling [the matter]. I doubt it'll go all the way unless, of course, Woolworths decides that they want to go into computers … I doubt Apple expects to win."

Apple is also taking action against a music festival promoter, Poison Apple, which has applied to trademark an apple with a bite out of it atop crossed bones, and Foxtel, whose branding for a new pornography channel, Adults Only, is an apple together with an arrow and a devil's tail..

Apple declined to comment.