﻿ Cisco sues Apple over iPhone trademark | ZDNet

Cisco sues Apple over iPhone trademark

Summary: Cisco sues Apple over iPhone trademark.

Looks like things aren't as sorted over the iPhone name as we thought they were - Today Cisco Systems have announced that they are suing Apple over the iPhone trademark.  Cisco have held the iPhone trademark since 2000 when it acquired InfoGear Technology Corp, the company which originally registered the name.

Cisco claim that Apple had on numerous occasions over the past few years asked for permission to use the iPhone trademark.  Cisco had presented Apple with the final terms of an agreement the day before Macworld and the big Apple/iPhone announcement.  It looks like things didn't go well and the deal is a no-go for now.  My guess is that Cisco didn't get the paperwork back from Apple as quickly as it wanted and is filing suit to show that it means business.  I expect that this matter will be resolved before it gets anywhere near a trial.

Copy of the complaint filed by Cisco can be found here.

Here's the press release from Cisco:

SAN JOSE, Calif., January 10, 2007 - Cisco® today announced that it has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Apple, Inc., seeking to prevent Apple from infringing upon and deliberately copying and using Cisco's registered iPhone trademark.




With its lawsuit, Cisco is seeking injunctive relief to prevent Apple from copying Cisco's iPhone trademark. For more information on the Cisco iPhone product line, please visit www.linksys.com/iphone.

[Updated: Jan 10, 2007 @ 5.45 pm]  Mark Chandler, Cisco's SVP and General Counsel, offers insight on Apple's infringement of Cisco's iPhone trademark.  Here are some key highlights [emphasis mine]:





At MacWorld, Apple discussed the patents pending on their new phone technology. They clearly seem to value intellectual property. 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.


Topic: Cisco



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  • Trial summary

    Cisco: "This lawsuit is about Cisco's obligation to protect its trademark in the face
    is about not using people?s property without permission."

    Judge (looking at other iPhone branded products on the market right now): "Why
    didn't you do so with these other iPhone named products?"

    Cisco's response: "Uh....can we get back to you on that?"

    Judge: "This court rules in Apple's favor."
  • Apple wins again

    Regardless of the outcome of the suit or the eventual name of the product (I'm going with "Jesus Phone" myself, coined over at Gizmodo), this lawsuit gives the tech press yet another reason to express their obsession with Apple. How many articles are there on ZDNet alone about this lawsuit? 10? 15?

    You can't buy publicity like that.
    tic swayback
    • True

      No such thing as bad publicity ...
      Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
  • Glad to see...

    That the big boys will not just fold. I can not stand when these big companies think that they can do whatever they want to and then figure that a price will make things right. Good for you Cisco!!!!
    • Big boys?

      You do realize that Cisco is a much bigger company with a larger market cap than Apple, right?
      tic swayback
      • Cisco's not just bigger than Apple

        ... it's massive.
        Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
  • iWhatever

    The ZDNet echo chamber is reverberating with the sound of Apple's "arrogance".
    After all, it's clear arrogance to "steal" the "i" monicker from Cisco. The very same
    Cisco trying to make some hay by using the popularity of Apple's original iMac
    and the subsequent iPod. Microsoft lifting the original Mac interface, Vista is a
    copy of OSX. The remarkably iPod-like Zune is tanking. A litany of big and small
    companies are trying to ride on the popularity of the iPod. The Zune, the iSpatula,
    and all the rest have one thing in common. The best they can do is parrot Apple.

    So get on board with ZDNet, and let's imply that this genie currently referred to as
    iPhone (with a clever line through it) might yet be put back in it's bottle. We'll
    pretend that the mighty Cisco isn't desperate to get a piece of this, and that the
    name itself is the source of the enchantment. The threat to ad revenue might yet
    dissapate. Let's ignore the possibility that it may be the single biggest trojan horse
    in tech history, and a springboard for OSX adoption. Let's ignore hundreds of
    man-years of software refinement, and focus instead on ummm.... what happens
    when we drop it! Or... why it's not so good to use if you have a greasy face. Or...
    why it's a second rate dessert topping

    The only thing currently more amazing than the iPhone's (with a clever line
    through it) potential is how many journalists can fit in Bill Gates rectum.
    Harry Bardal
    • My name suggestion

      I say they go with the "Stevetronic 4000".
      tic swayback
      • ;-)

        ... iNeedanotherbattery
        Adrian Kingsley-Hughes