Apple iPhone trademark rejected in Canada?
By Darren Murph 
posted Jan 15th 2007 10:05AM
posted Jan 15th 2007 10:05AM
Regardless of what Mr. Jobs got up on stage and enunciated to us all, it seems Apple has quite the uphill battle to fight before this summer's big launch, and while it just might find a loophole to use the "iPhone" moniker here in the US (or not?), it looks the Canucks might have just shut Cupertino out. According to a trademark request in the Canadian Trademark Database, Apple's request to trademark the term "iPhone" has been "opposed" as of last week. Of course, the filing spills out a barrage of legal hub bub describing how Apple planned on using the term, a sequential list of events leading up the eventual denial, and lists Ontario's Comwave Telecom Inc. as an "Opponent," for whatever it's worth. Essentially, we're not particularly sure whether this opposition leaves the iPhone in Canada, but we're sure Apple isn't likely to take "no" for an answer.[Thanks, Gord]
See the Government of Canada's trademark database for an interesting little history on the Cisco/Apple/Comwave claime to the iPhone name.
Link to Trademark search database: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/app/cipo/trademarks/search/tmSearch.do?language=eng
they should just call it the "apple phone" and call it a day...
They should just call it the "iPod Communicator" and call it a day.
Comwave just got themselves a nice check. We all know that's why the tern smugglers grabbed the name anyway. Wasn't a surprise Apple was going to get into the cell biz back in 2004/2005 when Comwave grabbed the name. They did it so they could sell it to APple for a hefty fee... anyone want a wager? lol
kOa7, iPhone not communicator. It's iPod with integrated cell phone. Not more. Communicators have much more wider functionality
I see Comwave's commercials all the time on TV (thank you G4TechTV) and I hope Apple can take them out of business.
They've been running for at least the last two years.
Although I wonder if they have the same provisions for differentiation in Canada - iPhone is the name for Comwave's VOIP service, whereas Apple's is just one specific handset...
why is apple fighting for the name... anyways i dont think iPhone is a strong name. They should invent a new name for this new revolutionary product just like they created name ipod.
I don't care what you Apple calls it- I'm buying one!
Do you mean like push email, text/SMS messaging, etc? It's got it!
iCom?
iCell?
iTel?
iTele? (pronounce 'eye-tell-a' or 'eye-tell-ee')
iMobile?
iDA?
iPod+?
iBerry? (this one's iffy, though)
iKick? (this one too)
iCom?
iIi? (pronounced 'eye-eye-eye')
iOwnYourSoul? (ok, maybe not, but at least it would be truth-in-advertising about their hold on their fans :-) )
Or even just calling it the 'i' (logo could even be dotted with their signature Apple) - there're a lot of other possibilities besides wasting money and making yourself look like a fool over 'iPhone'
BlackJack? Ooops, forgot RIM's already suing over that one. *snicker*
What's wrong with iPod Phone. That's what it IS, after all, and at least that way the product line makes a bit more sense.
(The AppleTV should also be the iPod TV, but that's another argument.)