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Cisco Sues Apple Over iPhone Trademark

Posted by samzenpus on from the that-didn't-take-long dept.

lucabrasi999 writes "It appears that Apple may be running out of items that they can prefix with the letter "i". Cisco is suing Apple over trademark infringement. Cisco claims to own the rights to the "iPhone" trademark since they purchased Infogear in 2000. Infogear filed for the rights to the trademark in 1996."

3 of 556 comments (clear)

  1. Cisco was willing to negotiate by alain94040 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    From Cisco's web site yesterday: "SAN JOSE Calif., January 9, 2007 - Given Apple's numerous requests for permission to use Cisco's iPhone trademark over the past several years and our extensive discussions with them recently, it is our belief that with their announcement today, Apple intends to agree to the final document and public statement that were distributed to them last night and that addressed a few remaining items. We expect to receive a signed agreement today."

    I guess someone at Apple didn't sign on the dotted line last night. What could Cisco possibly be asking for that Apple would refuse?

    Alain.

  2. Re:what about these guys? by puto · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually no,

    I worked for a Chatroom software company that owned a product called ichat. Apple bought the trademark and the name, so they did not come up with it.

    http://forums.appleinsider.com/archive/index.php/t -8722.html

    Even discussed on appleforums.

    The company changed its name to globalchat. Which was then bought by digi-net.com who owns digichat. Ichat was sold as rooms.

    Ichat was WAAAAAAAAAAAAY before apple I'ed anything. 1996

    http://web.archive.org/web/19961106085604/http://w ww.ichat.com/

    The ichat site at apple used to explain this with a link, but have since used the distortion field to take it down.

    If I were jobs, I would come up with a different name.

    Puto

    --
    The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  3. Re:Trademark info by L7_ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Also something to note is that the original iPhone for which the trademark was granted was for a POTS phone complete with 2 phone jacks (see cnn archive, but its sloooow: http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9906/10/iphone.i dg/index.html). The Infogear trademark was for a telephone that is also a modem. I wonder how the affect of Apple's iPhone being a Mobile phone with a wifi connection will matter.

    Another question would be *when* apple entered into talks with cisco to use the name. was this before or after cisco had already released thier own mobile phone with the iPhone name? hrrm.