[kokey]

Actually, it happens quite often and not just with Apple. The mobile company, Orange, has been doing the same to companies with the name 'orange' in it. It normally starts with threatening letters from lawyers, where small companies often can't afford decent legal advice to defend themselves. Some yield, others put up a fight, but the aim is to reduce as many other companies using a similar name as far as possible.

It's strange that the best examples I know of are all the names of fruits.