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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."
This is why we should go back to the days when you actually had to _use_ a trademark to acquire any rights to it. Marks aren't supposed to be some buzz-inducing corporate manna- they're supposed to be something that keeps consumers from getting ripped off by poor-quality imitators. Or at the very least signals to the consumer that a reputable company stands behind the product. If Apple gets an iPad tablet out there and it sucks, everybody will know not to buy something with that name. If Fujitsu's rules, people will know to seek it by mark. Otherwise these guys are just an administrative drain on productivity and additional supporters of blind consumerism.
I read it as, Fujitsu, we're green with envy.
I didn't say that they did have any extra rights, but it is pretty obvious what they do and that makes them vulnerable to squatters, like the unnamed company in the article. For what it is worth, I hate Apple.
Agreed. I'm not defending Apple. Like I said, I hate them. At the same time unless the first company actually had a product in mind when they applied for the trademark, then its exploitative. I hope they win.