Apple has reportedly gotten friendly with Japanese company Aiphone. The two companies have apparently come to terms with the use of the iPhone trademark in Japan, allowing both Apple and Aiphone to use the trademark. Aiphone has reportedly been talking to Apple since last summer over the iPhone trademark.
While Aiphone isn’t exactly the same as iPhone, both words are apparently indistinguishable when translated into Japanese. So, in the name of sharing the trademark love, Aiphone has “reached a friendly agreement with Apple” which gives both companies rights to the Japanese iPhone trademark on the island nation.
Great, so Apple and Aiphone have agreed to share the iPhone trademark. What’s the big deal? Well, we’ve got to believe that Apple wouldn’t go through the trouble of securing its iPhone rights in Japan unless it didn’t have plans to launch the 3G iPhone in the country later this year. After all, it’s not like Apple would go out of their way to get Japanese 3G iPhone hopes up, only to crush them later – at least we hope not.
[Via: DigitalWorldTokyo]