News
Apple denied ‘Multi-Touch’ trademark
By Charles Starrett
Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
News Category: Apple
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has officially denied Apple’s request for a trademark on the term “Multi-touch.” Mac Rumors reports that Apple originally applied for the trademark on January 9, 2007, the day after the original iPhone was introduced. According to the report, the initial trademark application was denied by a USPTO lawyer, which caused Apple to appel to the body’s Appeal Board. In its decision denying Apple’s appeal, the Board found that “‘multi-touch’ not only identifies the technology, but also describes how a user of the goods operates the device,” but also found that the term has taken on a generic meaning, as it is widely used to describe the capacitive touchscreen technology found on a wide variety of modern devices.
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1
denied? are the studied??? Apple applied back in 2007 , they deserve that trademark!
Posted by Hansel on September 28, 2011 at 1:51 PM (PDT)
2
No they don’t The term is used to much in the main stream to be owned.
Posted by Shameless1 on September 28, 2011 at 3:27 PM (PDT)
3
@Shameless1: In 2007 it wasn’t mainstream. If the patent had been awarded back then, then it either wouldn’t be as mainstream as it is now, or Apple would be getting royalties from the term’s use.
Posted by Brianbobcat on September 28, 2011 at 9:05 PM (PDT)