Apple's latest Trademark filings

Pengu

Pengu

Digital Music Pimp
http://www.macobserver.com/columns/devilsadvocate/2004/20030817b.shtml

Apple has filed an application for several new Trademarks:

  • IWORK
  • PROBAND
  • ZEROCONF
  • SEARCHLIGHT
  • POD

ProBand seems to me to be a name for a new Pro music application.

Zeroconf is presumably the new name for Rendesvouz, instead of/in conjunction with OpenTalk.

Searchlight is obviously the new search tool in Tiger.

Pod.. Well. Maybe a different type of pod?

Now. iWork. Wondering why I left it till last?

http://www.iggsoftware.com/iwork/

that's why. iWork is an existing product (that I use) for managing contract-style work. It's pretty cool. Now either... Apple is going to buy them out, and wants to trademark it. Or. IggSoftware never trademarked it, and apple wants the name. Any thoughts?
 
iTools was an existing product before Apple came out with their own (now .Mac). There was, to my knowledge, no problems with that.
 
Yeah, but Tenons iTools is a server management system. Apples iTools was a service/program, and they had little in common.

iWork is a piece of business software. Apples is likely to be business based somehow, because it's called WORK.
 
Pengu, sounds like you're pretty accurate with this one...

ZeroConf is the existing name for the open-source project on which Rendezvous was based. See http://www.zeroconf.org/ for more info. We all probably heard the recent news that Rendezvous was being dropped as a name after a recent trademark dispute. It will be interesting to see if this request is granted...

ProBand: You are probably correct in suggesting it as the Pro equivalent to GarageBand. I have to admit the name conjured up some networking ideas for me as well (Broadband, Narrowband, etc) but your reasoning is far more sound.

Searchlight is the new search tool included in Tiger, yes.

Pod: This is interesting. It sounds like a more generalised version of the iPod name. It could mean they are just trying to protect "Pod" from other interests that might steal some sales by using similar named devices (can anyone say "RealPod"?), or it could mean a broadening of the definition of what the iPod is.
On the other hand, in accordance with Apple's convention of naming consumer end products with the 'i' suffix, it may just be a high-end version of the iPod for professional purposes - which conjures up some unusual ideas in and of itself!

iWork, however, is the one that fascinates me the most. It could be a red herring, but it could be just about anything. The patent filing only narrows it down to a software product.
 
I have to admit. After i'd posted, I noticed that there were several comments below the article, with simmilar view points..
 
iwork, interesting... i wonder if this is the start of the big jump into business side application. Parts of iwork may compete with the fillemaker side of the 7 new filemaker apps like billing and such. Could also be the new accounting/biz app for small business. myob and quickbooks look out there is a new beast in the house iwork and iwork pro, iwork enterprise edition.

pod could be the tablet that is out there... it's little brother is the ipod it's little sister the mini and the mama is just the pod.
 
ok. no more talking ducks in this thread!

no more spreading rumors like herpes.
 
symphonix said:
ProBand: You are probably correct in suggesting it as the Pro equivalent to GarageBand. I have to admit the name conjured up some networking ideas for me as well (Broadband, Narrowband, etc) but your reasoning is far more sound.
Click to expand...

Isn't Logic the pro version of GarageBand? After all, GarageBand is just a cut down version of Logic with a different interface.
 
Yes it is... Maybe Apple wants to give GarageBand users a simpler way to upgrade to Logic. A name change of logic would be, well, logical. I don't think Logic users would really mind using 'ProBand formerly known as Logic'. ;-) ...

Pengu: A penguin telling a duck to stop talking... Hilarious, but unnecessary... ;-) If you don't want to read his comments, you can use the 'ignore' feature of macosx.com.
 
is searchlight the new name for Tiger's spotlight or something... or am i missing something.
 
It's actually 'spotlight'... Maybe they're just copyrighting similar names...?
 
fryke said:
Yes it is... Maybe Apple wants to give GarageBand users a simpler way to upgrade to Logic. A name change of logic would be, well, logical. I don't think Logic users would really mind using 'ProBand formerly known as Logic'. ;-) ...

Pengu: A penguin telling a duck to stop talking... Hilarious, but unnecessary... ;-) If you don't want to read his comments, you can use the 'ignore' feature of macosx.com.
Click to expand...
I don't know. Logic is quite a well known, respected bit of of software, I'm not sure a change of name to ProBand would work very well. It would be a bit like changing Dreamweaver to ProFrontpage. Well maybe not that bad :)

Also bear in mind that Apple has already changed emagic's lineup from Gold, Platinum etc.
 
I don't see any way Apple would want to change Logic's name. Logic is very well branded and recognized. To change the name would be a mistake.

ProBand as a music app may only confuse matters more. Already there is a trend of more and more confusion among the Apple application lineup. For example, many people constantly wonder what exactly is the difference between SoundTrack and Garage Band (and Logic for that matter). Not to mention Logic Express. Likewise, LiveType and Motion have a lot of overlap (I predict LiveType dies soon). Final Cut Pro and Express are fairly clear, but sometimes Shake confuses people and certainly when compared to After Effects (not an Apple product).

I would think positioning something between GB and Logic might be a bit too muddy.

One possibility is simply that Apple is trademarking these names as a defensive measure to make sure competitors don't use them and get people confused with Apple's products.

FWIW--SoundTrack is actually an independent program, separate from FCP, but integrated a bit with linked behavior.
 
mindbend said:
I don't see any way Apple would want to change Logic's name. Logic is very well branded and recognized. To change the name would be a mistake.

ProBand as a music app may only confuse matters more. Already there is a trend of more and more confusion among the Apple application lineup. For example, many people constantly wonder what exactly is the difference between SoundTrack and Garage Band (and Logic for that matter). Not to mention Logic Express. Likewise, LiveType and Motion have a lot of overlap (I predict LiveType dies soon). Final Cut Pro and Express are fairly clear, but sometimes Shake confuses people and certainly when compared to After Effects (not an Apple product).

I would think positioning something between GB and Logic might be a bit too muddy.

One possibility is simply that Apple is trademarking these names as a defensive measure to make sure competitors don't use them and get people confused with Apple's products.

FWIW--SoundTrack is actually an independent program, separate from FCP, but integrated a bit with linked behavior.
Click to expand...

I don't think Apple uses even half these trademarks. Generally they will tradmark a name and it's in use in less than 5 months(see Keynote and Garageband tradmarks) . I do believe ProBand is going to the be the first and maybe only trademark from this list used. I do not believe it is going to be a new app but rather an add on pack to Logic. Logic 7 is due either this fall or next Winter NAMM. At NAMM 2004 in Jan Apple demoed 3 new plugins for Logic called Sculpture, Ultrabeat and Guitar Amp. I believe it's unlikely that they will just toss these in to Logic 7 because that will generate no money. I believe they will be bundled together in an add-on pack ala Garageband Jam Pack and sold for say $399-499. So basically Apple will market Logic 7 and have a Proband add on pack for those that need the new plugins. Apples lineup of music apps is fine now. The only new app they need a ProTools like apps for Audio Post Production and that would not be called ProBand.

Oh and I don't think Livetype is going anywhere. Motion is nice but it's not bundled with FCP and Motion supports LiveFonts. The two apps are different in enough ways to complement each other. LiveType never did motion graphics it is merely a titler and Motion is most concerned with animating graphics and text. They both form a nice one-two punch.
 
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