Fujitsu Readies Lawsuit Over "iPad" Name

gyrogeerloose writes "In an event eerily reminiscent of Cisco's suit over Apple's use of the 'iPhone' name, Japanese firm Fujitsu is consulting its attorneys in preparation for going to court over Apple's use of 'iPad' for its latest computing device. Quoted in a New York Times story, Masahiro Yamane, director of Fujitsu's public relations division, said 'It's our understanding that the name is ours.' Fujitsu's application to trademark the iPad name stalled because of an earlier filing by another company and the US Patent and Trademark Office listed Fujitsu's application as abandoned in early 2009, but the company revived its application in June. Apple, which has applied for an international trademark on 'iPad' through a proxy company, has filed a number of requests with the US Patent Office for more time to oppose Fujitsu's application."

Comments

Apple should let Fujitsu have it...

[Sebilrazen]

and spin this as a terrible loss, which will unfortunately cause them to come up with a better name.

Re:Moses has dibs on the Tablet...

[Archangel Michael]

Moses didn't go to Sunday School either, he kept Sabbath. Sunday Heretics hmmmph

Re:Apple please change the name...

[IANAAC]

I might sue Apple for reminding me of my childhood trauma of being dragged into that particular aisle of the grocery store by my mother.

I take it you're not married.

Re:Am I the only one?

[nedlohs]

Making fun of it involves telling people about it.

The number of people who wouldn't buy one because of the name is vanishingly small.

So benefits far outweigh costs.

Re:Double trademark trolls!

[loftwyr]

From the article... Fujitsu, which applied for an iPad trademark in 2003

Intel also used to try to keep the lower case i as their own trademark (as is i386, i486, etc.) before Apple launched the iPod.

Apple doesn't own the legal or moral rights to the lower case i prefix, they weren't even the first to use it.

The distance some go to defend Apple

[linumax]

Bullshit! MagTek has an IPAD product, and has filed the trademark in 2000 which was later granted and then extended several times. Even Fujitus was and is after the name for their product much longer than Apple.

knowing full well that Apple prefixes all their products with an i

Apple doesn't own "iX" and it shouldn't get any special treatment. If it wants a trademark then should apply for it like everyone else. In this case it's late to the game, in fact too late.

Re:welp

[MichaelSmith]

Another great reason not to use twitter!

Re:Am I the only one?

[repetty]

The number of people who wouldn't buy one because of the name is vanishingly small.

If the product is good, that number will be zero. If the product is no good and fails, pundits will write for years about how the name killed it. Such is historical revisionism.

Re:Better name

[sdpuppy]

...and this is why slash dotters don't have girlfriends.

You're missing a rather important wrinkle...

[itsdapead]

Bullshit! MagTek has an IPAD product

Now look closer. The MagTek device in your link is a point-of-sale card swipe terminal, presumably sold mainly to the retail industry.

Now look at TFA. The Fujitsu iPad is a point-of-sale card-swipe terminal sold mainly to the retail industry.

The Apple iPad, meanwhile, is a consumer appliance, conspicuously lacking a card-swipe device and is not primarily targeted at the point-of-sale market.

Or, in other words, MagTek have Fujitsu banged to rights for infringing their trademark, whereas Apple have a strong argument that they're not operating in the same market.