Is the iPhone apple’s or Cisco’s? Well, Cisco has the trademark (and a product), but Apple used it anyway to launch their last device, the iPhone. So Cisco sued for patent infringement.
Through Scobleizer I found out about the Cisco blog on the whole trademark issue from THEIR point of view, which is an interesting read. They claim they were in talks and Apple announced the product without closure on the matter. And then there’s this quote:
“If the tables were turned, do you think Apple would allow someone to blatantly infringe on their rights? How would Apple react if someone launched a product called iPod but claimed it was ok to use the name because it used a different video format? Would that be ok? We know the answer – Apple is a very aggressive enforcer of their trademark rights. And that needs to be a two-way street.”
They do have a point there. Sure, companies need to be protective of their names and products, but it is sad to see all the trademark wars being fought.
Well, at least it generates Buzz for both companies. And a bonus for Cisco, I now actually know Cisco has an iPhone product and what it does: a Linksys handset for use with Skype and other services.
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