Cisco Sues Apple Over Use of iPhone Name

Thu Jan 11, 2007 5:18 am

The Apple iPhone was unveiled earlier this week after 30 months and millions of dollars in top-secret development. But the sleek new iPod-phone combination could wind up costing the company a lot more.

Apple iPhone

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Cisco today announced that it has filed a lawsuit to forbid Apple from using the name "iPhone." It obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after 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 held the trademark to brand a line of its own Internet-enabled phones that began shipping last spring and officially launched three weeks ago.

Cisco said Apple approached the company several years ago seeking to use the name, and the two have been negotiating ever since to hammer out a licensing agreement. But Cisco said the talks broke down just hours before Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs, took to the stage Tuesday at the annual Macworld Conference and Expo to introduce the multimedia device.

With its lawsuit, Cisco is seeking injunctive relief to prevent Apple from copying Cisco's iPhone trademark.

- Apple iPhone Specs

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Reader Comments (12)

1. Posted by steva11	Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:39 am
crazy that apple would release their phone, knowing cisco would be suing them for the name. I heard that they had come to an agreement the night before the presentation...i guess not...

2. Posted by joecingu	Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:20 am
Comon!!!! Now they do a lawsuit... Can anyone be more jealous for the iphone. Adding an i before a word is apple specialty (ipod, imac, itunes) you get the idea. So that been said it was logical that an apple phone will be name like that. I know that money blinds judment but to make a lawsuit... FOr not using the name ..plz this must be a way to cisco have some more millions in he pocket. But what are trademarks for? So like in 10 years a company does a product with your name you can sue.

3. Posted by seerich	Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:54 pm
what about changeing the name to iCell

4. Posted by neek	Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:10 am
Because, only in America they're called cellular phones? Quite frankly, iHandy is just awesome.

5. Posted by Jadall	Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:23 pm
I think it's a publicity stunt.. why would they do that knowing they'd get sued.

6. Posted by craft211	Sat Jan 13, 2007 2:26 pm
honestly i think this isw funny as he\|\|.

7. Posted by joecingu	Sat Jan 13, 2007 2:49 pm
Because, only in America they're called cellular phones? Quite frankly, iHandy is just awesome. how about ipodphone... iknow its corny but what the heck to not get sewed... and the publicity stunt theory is quite interesting

8. Posted by nano404	Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:44 am
I would file a lawsuit. Its their name, Apple knew years before. Thats like starting a company named Samsung knowing that the name is a trademark. Even seemingly insignificant situations like virtual airlines are not allowed to have the same name as real airlines without permission. If they want iPhone so badly they should give it a temporary name until a settlement is reached. thats what they got all those damn lawyers for.

9. Posted by mon	Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:46 am
I have a better name idea for apple's iphone.. it should be called 'ipfone' instead of iphone, in this way Cisco will not make themselves rich in this case.

10. Posted by joecingu	Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:56 am
I have a better name idea for apple's iphone.. it should be called 'ipfone' instead of iphone, in this way Cisco will not make themselves rich in this case. How do you pronounse that? I P fone?

11. Posted by eheezy	Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:04 pm
how about ifone? or maybe italk or something of the sort?

12. Posted by HTC-3125	Mon May 07, 2007 6:55 pm
how about the name it iTalk. thats a good one