Kevin Allison

Apple vs Cisco: fightin’ words

January 11, 2007
by Kevin Allison

Are Apple and Cisco Systems poised for a battle royale over the rights to the iPhone name? I just got off the phone with one of Apple’s normally reserved PRs, and he had some choice words for Cisco, which just announced that it would file an injunction to block Apple from using the mark to promote its new handset. Here is what he said:

Cisco’s trademark lawsuit is silly. There are already several companies using the name iPhone for voice over IP. We are the first company to ever use the iPhone name for a cell phone and if Cisco want to challenge us we’re confident we will prevail.

Cisco says it has owned the rights to the iPhone name since it acquired the trademark through an acquisition in 2000. But Apple’s spokesman challenged whether Cisco’s trademark claim would hold up in court. I believe those are known in some parts of the US as ‘fightin’ words’.

January 11th, 2007 in Digital media | Permalink

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