Cisco to sue Apple over iPhone trademark
Cory Bergman January 10th, 2007
Cisco has owned the iPhone trademark since 2000, and last month it launched a line of VOIP devices under the iPhone brand. According to Cisco, Apple has been has been in extensive negotiations to gain the rights to the name — and Cisco said it even sent over an agreement on Monday, which Apple hasn’t signed. Now at an impasse, Cisco is asking for injunctive relief to prevent Apple from copying the name. Too much money for Apple to pay? Or a stunt for even more publicity?
5 Comments Add your own
1. thedetroitchannel | January 10th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
cisco has a lot of gall.
afterall, they stole their name from some kid.
2. Michael Gorman | January 10th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Cisco may have the trademark, but maybe Jobs made a play for the hearts and minds?
Everyone’s been buzzing over the “iPhone” for the past 30 hours. So much that even if they’re forced to change it’s name to, say, “iPod Phone” once the case runs its course in the courts, it’s still could be commonly referred to as the “iPhone.”
This might not be completely analogous, but do you call it facial tissue? Or Kleenex?
3. Charles | January 10th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
I don’t think a name change is THAT big of an issue. Shoot, I know the video game community gets pretty used to it. They gossip for a few years, refering to a system by it’s codename, then have to get used to calling it by it’s official name.
Plus, it’s Apple. Anything they do is pretty much considered to be sent from the heavens, so if they change their name, I’m sure the tech community would get over it pretty fast.
4. flotsam | January 11th, 2007 at 8:48 am
doesn’t anybody do due dilligence any more?
remember how much it cost Disney when they decided to call their late “portal” GO only to discover it was already owned.
ownership in this case is 10/10s of the law.
Apple will pay or change and spend a lot of money on law suits along the way unless they find out what else Cisco wants and gives it to them.
5. Brendan | January 11th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Hey, It’s not like it’s the first time Apple have done this. *Cough* The Beatles *Cough*
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