Comments on: Cisco faces iPhone trademark challenge in Canada

As Cisco battles Apple for the iPhone trademark, telecommunications company alleges Cisco is stepping on its use of the brand.

[airwalkery2k]

iPhone?

I thought about the name iPhone in at least 2003. Do I get something too?

[dargon19888]

Dont be a twit....

When this first errupted, I did a quick google search on the term iPhone and not Apple.

Found the Comwave site and one other. As well as an article by a college student.

The bottom line...

Cisco can loose the trademark because they didn't try to protect it.

And the courts can decide that no one can have the trademark.

Can you say Kleenex?

[john55440]

Just call it iNewtonphone -grin (nt)

No Text

[mbenedict]

VERY unlikely...

The worse that could happen is Cisco to lose the iPhone trademark *in Canada* only. As the article mentions, Comwave had not registered the trademark in Canada or elsewhere.

The most likely scenario is Cisco will settle with Comwave for the rights to use the name in Canada.

It's bad news for Apple, because they now have to fight (or make deals) with both Cisco *and* Comwave, in the US and in Canada.

Didn't Apple research the name before deciding to use it? Unlike in Canada, iphone is a registered trademark in the US, and has been so for over a decade.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Apple is now third in line for the name

So... Apple will now have to fight Cisco and Comwave to use the name they have decided to steal from two other companies.

The article says it may take up to two years for this to be resolved, which will definitely eliminate Apple's ability to sell the product in Canada until this is resolved. If they do try to sell the iPhone in Canada, then Comwave can sue Apple for all sales made in that country plus damages. This could be very very expensive for Apple if they continue this path of self destruction.

[dotmike]

Surely it's a generic term by now, so...

... let all companies that are using it (about a dozen), just keep
using it.

To distinguish them from each other, they and new publications
can just say the Apple iPhone or the Cisco iPhone or the Comwave
iPhone or the Cidco iPhone, etc, etc.