Cisco claims Apple created phony company

[Nomad559]

Cisco claims Apple created phony company to sidestep iPhone trademark

http://money.canoe.ca/News/TopPhoto/2007/01/10/3279889-ap.html

Cisco lawsuit against Apple over IPhone naming rights could get ugly

What's a name worth?

To find out, Cisco Systems Inc. and Apple Inc. may spend millions of dollars in a high-stakes legal battle - and the winner could walk away with the rights to the coveted name "IPhone."

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Cisco asked a judge to forbid Apple from using the name "IPhone," a Cisco trademark since 2000.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Apple went so far as to create a phoney company - called Ocean Telecom Services LLC - to get around Cisco's trademark, Cisco alleges.

In an application to the U.S. Patent and Trade Office in March, Ocean Telecom billed itself as a foreign company doing business in Trinidad and Tobago. The company listed its attorney as James Johnson. His contact information was an e-mail address from Google's free web-based Gmail service.

On Thursday, the Apple spokeswoman said the company would not discuss Ocean Telecom.

[Atman]

1. First, you can't pre-emptively file a trademark with intention of using it

Cisco blunder #1. Unless they can prove they had a marketing and R&D team actually working on an "iPhone," there not going to get far.

Second, Apple's move with Ocean Telecom, while shady-sounding, was brilliant. They knew Cisco was trying to fuck with them.

Third...the lawyers. *sigh* They're going to make brazillions in this battle of the deep pockets. And Apple will win.

All that money. Think of the GOOD things it could be used for.

.

[Solo_in_MD]

2. iPhone had been in use since 1996 by a smaller company that Cisco

bought in 2000. Cisco recently released a product line of iPhones, based on Skype

[Atman]

4. Well then...that's a different story

Apple must have known this. My guess is that Apple's market cap is so massive that it has the cash on hand for just about any buyout, and that's what they anticipated from Cisco. The key know will just be to get the lawyers to keep the settlement figure as low as possible. But look at the money Apple made of the iPod and iTunes. They are swimming in money. Unfortunately, Cisco knows this. As do Cisco's lawyers.

.

[Solo_in_MD]

6. Indeed

Cisco is larger than Apple, not sure about cash positions. Also Apple was negoiating with Cisco for rights to the name. Things were not finalized before the announcement.

[frylock]

7. cisco equipment runs probably 99.999% of all global networks..

I think their market share is a tad bit more than Apples, iPod or not.

[tridim]

3. iCouldntcareless

And honestly I'm just sick of iThis and iThat, iEverything.. "Internet" is supposed to be capitalized. Eventually these companies will run out of words to put i's in front of, and then what? Panic in the streets?

[Atman]

5. He shoots, he scoooooooores!

You get the DU "Sub Line of the Day" award. You didn't even need any body text!

:rofl:

.