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Fujitsu Readies Lawsuit Over "iPad" Name

Posted by timothy on from the walt-disney's-lesson dept.

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."

5 of 367 comments (clear)

  1. Apple should let Fujitsu have it... by Sebilrazen · · Score: 5, Insightful

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

    --
    "There are no facts, only interpretations." --Friedrich Nietzsche.
  2. Re:Apple please change the name... by IANAAC · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  3. The distance some go to defend Apple by linumax · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  4. Re:welp by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Another great reason not to use twitter!

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  5. You're missing a rather important wrinkle... by itsdapead · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    --
    In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.