Cisco sues Apple over iPhone Trademark

[Thank The Cheese]

I have a theory on this:

Apple are doing this to see if they can get away with it. If not, the iPhone will revert to the [Apple Logo]Phone much like the [Apple Logo]TV.

My evidence for this, whle thin, is based on Apple's official iPhone site which, you'll notice, places the Apple logo before every major instance of the word "iPhone". They don't usually do this, so I wonder if all goes badly they will remove the "i" from "iPhone" and bring the Apple logo in a few pixels and the casual observer will be none the wiser.

[Captain Code]

I think Cisco was developing their voip phone for a while but probably had no intent to call it the iPhone. Then Apple tries to get the trademark from them so Cisco calls their phone the iPhone just so that if it ever went to court then they can show that product. I think this is evident because Cisco must have known Apple was coming out with something and then Cisco comes out with this only a month earlier.

[Natobasso]

Originally Posted by fryke

I find it strange how they didn't seem to approach them *before* introducing it. Maybe they did. Well... We'll see. Worst case, they'll have to rename it (and everyone's still going to call it iPhone). I didn't see a product name on the product itself.

Cisco and Apple did have talks, but they broke off with a less than favorable result...

[Natobasso]

It's a 'beg for forgiveness later' move by Apple in which they will pay a lump sum which will equal less than a prolonged litigation and it will get what it wants by forcing Cisco into the deal.

The trademark for iPhone goes back to 1996 so it's not exactly a new thing. The law is on Cisco's side on this one, but again--it all comes down to money and popularity and Apple's got both in spades.

Cisco owns the mark. Apple is breaking the law by using it. Unfortunately, these days the law matters less and less...

[g/re/p]

The Apple phone is not a VOIP phone.......

Apple confident it will prevail in Cisco lawsuit

http://news.yahoo.com/s/macworld/200...onse20070111_0

[Lt Major Burns]

that is the most tenuous case i've ever heard. if apple decided to call their new mac the Starbucks iMac, they'd get slapped. and the fact that the computer isn't coffee doesn't even come close to being a good argument.

[fryke]

Depends. You can have a "Sun" computer company and a "Sun" newspaper without much trouble. Of course the iPhone and the iPhone are _too_ similar, I believe. Whether it uses VoIP or GSM is a matter of protocols - the user still uses it to make phone calls. And the "i" in iPhone can quite clearly put to its internet useage. Also if Apple _really_ goes about this the VoIP route, they'll _never_ be able to allow us to iChat with audio, because that very much _is_ VoIP, even if Apple doesn't give it that label. Well: Maybe they don't _want_ to do that, anyway. (Or rather aren't allowed by cingular and other carriers.) We'll see. I'm pretty confident it'll be called iPhone when it hits the market.

[MacFreak]

Apple will win period.. Apple's iPhone is a celluar not a voip. Cisco's iphone have to connect to network ports in the office. Therefore, Apple, inc will win..