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Apple Loses Aussie Trademark Complaint Over "i" Name

CuteSteveJobs writes "Apple has been dealt a severe blow having been told that it no longer has a monopoly on the letter 'i' for product naming. IP Australia, the government body that oversees trademark applications, rejected Apple's complaint against a company selling 'DOPi' laptop bags. Last year Australian computer company Macpro Computers claimed that after 26 years of flying its own Macpro brand that Apple was 'trying to burn us out' with legal fees. This was after Apple released its own Macpro line 3½ years ago. Apple lost that complaint, but is appealing. Last year Apple went after supermarket Woolworths complaining their new logo which featured a 'W' fashioned into the shape of an apple. (Woolworths sells real apples.)"

21 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. iFirst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This post has been taken to court by Apple due to violations regarding the iFirst.

    1. Re:iFirst by Jazz-Masta · · Score: 5, Funny

      If Apple were a person he would be a total douche

      He'd also be wearing a turtleneck, have a starbucks double half-calf-frappa-moccha-chino, goatee, and thick black-rimmed glasses.

      Oh yeah, and a liberal arts degree.

    2. Re:iFirst by gafisher · · Score: 2, Funny

      That's because of the long boot times; it's sort of an umbrella concept.

  2. You mean Apple doesn't sell real apples... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The local grocery store in Silicon Valley has four organic apples in a hermetically sealed plastic box with a sticker on top to win a real skateboard for $3 USD. This is something that Steve Jobs would've come up with, although the skateboard would've been Steve Wozniak's idea.

    1. Re:You mean Apple doesn't sell real apples... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wow, you linked to a wikipedia article about skateboard. I hope we aren't that nerdy here on /. Some of you must have played Tony Hawk games, right?

  3. I think they lost it at the point where by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    They told the Australian court that the country would have to change its name to Australya.

  4. The first sign of trouble was... by LostCluster · · Score: 4, Funny

    when the ruling was headlined iDon'tThinkSo.

  5. Former Apple Trademark lawyer gets interviewed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    and said "iTold you so".

    Ugh, I just died a little inside (Pun Allergy).

  6. Trying to win trademark fights? by Mitchell314 · · Score: 5, Funny

    There's an app for that.

    --
    I read TFA and all I got was this lousy cookie
  7. Re:Bad summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I don't know about you, but if I saw a product which was the palindrome of a completely different sort of product, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the real one and the other. Obviously this "DOPi" product exists only to fool the honest consumer merely looking to save a few bucks on a Genuine Apple® iPod(tm). Imagine the poor saps' surprise when their newly purchased laptop bag refuses to play music!

    In other news, Wal*Mart are suing Pixar for blatantly ripping their name off with the title of the film Wall-E; and they have scores of confused cinema-goers willing to testify in their favour. In partnership with the City of Berlin, Pink Floyd have indicated that they will launch a similar lawsuit, seeking damages for The Berlin Wall and the two-part song "Another Brick In The Wall", respectively. No response yet from Humpty Dumpty's legal team.

  8. Re:Bad summary by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 3, Funny

    Still, buying a product pronounced "dopey" sums up Apple's customers aptly! :)

  9. The world. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Powered by 26 letters, and therefore a maximum of 26 companies.

    1. Re:The world. by gooman · · Score: 2, Funny

      Bummer to be the company that gets stuck with "R"
      They'll go broke suing all the pirates.

      --
      "Kittens give Morbo gas!"
  10. Sci Fi to the Rescue...Again by hyades1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Frank Herbert, the author of "Dune" wrote a couple of novels set in a universe where lawyers who chose to fight a case literally had to fight it...and die if they lost. "Whipping Star" was one of them.

    I think he was onto something. I, for one, would pay big money to see lawyers die.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:Sci Fi to the Rescue...Again by timmarhy · · Score: 3, Funny

      gates vs jobs. gates would surely win by strangling jobs with his stupid turtle neck.

      --
      If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
  11. Mother Nature looses her appeal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    In a severe blow to food naming conventions Mother Nature has lost her bid to retain the name "Apple" for the fruit of the same name. In a compromise Apple is allowing Mother Nature to have their unused trademark iSlate for all apple type fruits. This is seen as a victory for the US and Mom's iSlate pie!

  12. Apple by blind+biker · · Score: 2, Funny

    iLitigiousBastards

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
    1. Re:Apple by zuki · · Score: 2, Funny

      In the spirit of trying to find a song for everything,
      all I can think of when reading this is : "iMe A River"....

  13. How... by pandrijeczko · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... iLaughed.

    --
    Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
  14. Re:Bad summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Surely you meant "aptli".

  15. iEvil by cpotoso · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apple is iEvil.