News
Apple battle over iPhone name moves to Canada
Apple has been met with another fight for the iPhone brand name by a small company in Canada. “Comwave Telecom Inc. has used the iPhone brand since 2004 to sell Internet phone service to its customers, and filed documents opposing Apple’s motion to take the name,” reports Bloomberg News. “The dispute expands Apple’s legal woes over the brand, which Cisco Systems claims to have trademarked in the U.S. The spat also may lead to delays in getting the phone to Canadian consumers.” Comwave president Yuval Barzakay said, “It’s a crucial brand for us… Our legal folks believe we’re certainly in the driver’s seat.” As previously reported, Apple is currently battling Cisco Systems over the iPhone trademark in the U.S.
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21
This is all absurd. Apple creates a breakthrough desktop PC called an iMac. They then, quite rightly, piggy back on this success by naming their music player an iPod, and releasing a suite of iApps.
Now every two-bit gadget monkey likes the look of this and starts selling and patenting every iThing under the iSun. Some real products, and some iJunk that clearly exists just to cash in when someone wants to use that name for a real product.
Our laws are such that companies have every right to do this. Cisco and Commwave can’t be blamed for having a go at cashing in on the patents they had the foresight to register.
But it is patent nonsense to suggest that Apple is evil, monopolistic or bullying, for trying to release a product using the iLogo they invented.
Apple may or may not win this. And as people are correctly pointing out, losing it won’t matter anyway, because they’ll rename it and people will call it the iPhone anyway.
People need to stop looking for things to pull down. Apple is making good products that lots of people are buying because they do cool stuff. That’s all. There’s nothing sinister about it. If more companies tried to make their fortunes by being genuinely innovative, instead of pinning their hopes on ridiculous lawsuits, we’d all have a lot of cool sh*t to play with.
But then what would everyone complain about?
Posted by James on January 29, 2007 at 3:16 AM (PDT)
22
What fanboyz.
Fact is, the trademark registration for “iPhone” was filed for on March 20, 1996, and is now held by Cisco.
Apple began using iMac in 1998.
An “iWord,” which BTW, Apple didn’t in any way “invent.” Apple had to buy the trademark for “iMac” from Digi International, who filed for it in 1993, but actually began using it in 1991!
Posted by m.s. on January 29, 2007 at 2:07 PM (PDT)
23
I still say the name ‘iPhone’ isn’t worth fighting over, considering how well publicized that others have already used the name and have run the moniker through the ringer. (I also seem to remember posting something to this effect to the thread previously as well, but since I find no evidence of that now…it must’ve been something I said).
As for any divine intervention on Apple’s behalf…perhaps Apple should concentrate on asking for His help when it comes to properly handling stock options instead, rather than claim all those egocentric ‘i’s for themselves.
Posted by flatline response on January 31, 2007 at 8:58 AM (PDT)
24
Oh dear God, how anyone could be beyond stupid like Charles is beyond me. Charles is a garbage to this world and he should die very soon by agonizing death.
Posted by Jon on January 31, 2007 at 4:02 PM (PDT)
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