Posted Jan 10, 2007 at 06:12PM by Kristine C. Listed in: Cellular Phones Tags: Linksys, iPhone, Cisco
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Welcome to SuesvilleUh-oh. Could it be that Apple is getting a taste of its own medicine? After its history of suing various individuals and companies left and right for various forms of copyright or trademark infringement, it looks like Apple is now being sued for the exact same thing.

Now, we've seen this looming over the horizon for quite some time now, and apparently, not even filing for rights to the "iPhone" trademark has saved Apple from the eyes of Cisco Systems. Tsk, tsk. And to think that everyone was so excited to just see Apple unveil its new toy.

On January 10, iPhone trademark">Cisco representatives announced that they have filed a lawsuit against Apple, Inc. at the District Court of Northern California, "seeking to prevent Apple from infringing upon and deliberately copying and using Cisco's registered iPhone trademark".

As explained on the company website, here's what happened, and why they should be considered as the true owners of the trademark, "iPhone":

Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear's original filing for the trademark dates to March 20, 1996. Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been shipping a new family of iPhone products since early last year. On Dec. 18, Linksys expanded the iPhone family with additional products.


Moreover, according to Cisco's senior VP Mark Chandler, they have "entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco's iPhone name", but that Apple "should not be using our trademark without our permission".

Thanks to zerox for the tip!


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6 Comments


Sort by:
   by Chuck Norris (Unregistered) - 2007-01-10
 » first post and first digg

haha i am god

   by mr toasty (Unregistered) - 2007-01-10
 » ignoring the moron above me...

Apple was retarded for using the iPhone name to begin with, I mean a person with a half a brain could come up with a nicer name than that. Anyone seen that mockup for the iTalk? Now that's a phone I would buy, not this thing

   by Advertising -
   by Bob (Unregistered) - 2007-01-10
 » Mah..

To be honest, the iPhone name will either be licensed from Cisco or Apple will change it to iMobile, iCell, AppleCell or something. Just look at iTV which is now AppleTV. They would not have got away with iTV in the UK as there is a company with the very same name.


   Re: xche78x - 2007-01-11
 » apple did error

its a mishap on apple's side.
cisco really own's iPhone name.
so the product should find a new name so it can be launched for mass market.

this news is the opposite of the FENNER vs BIG3 whereas fenner (the suer) is abruptly late on sueing the big 3 console makers and didnt stop the controllers from being launched.
so hey fenner why sue now?
   by neok182 (Unregistered) - 2007-01-11
 » .

Apple was very wrong for going ahead and calling it that before they finished negotiations with cisco. and now they're paying for it. Cisco was nice enough to even talk about letting them use it. Because if it was the other way around apple would just shut the door in their face.

And now apple dosn't want to play nice (big surprise) and they're going to pay for it. They'll lose this case and have to rename the phone. after everyone now knows it as the iPhone.

This is just the first thing to hurt it on a long list. As nice as the phone is and i'd love to have one myself. it has a very bumpy road ahead of it.

   by mike (Unregistered) - 2007-01-16
 » apple will win this i think

i was just reading a article today on the winners of the macworld Rumormill and there was a link with the iphone that apple announced Sevral years ago that apple Registererd the website Iphone.org back in 1999 http://groups.google.com/group/uk.comp.sys.mac/browse_thread/thread/dffc084da31a5cd8/438023fcb2020e4f?lnk=st&q=iphone.org&rnum=2#438023fcb2020e4f
anyway i would think if apple did that they would certaintly Trademark it even if it wont work i think it will probally be Icell or macphone



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