Apple iPad trademark battle has been averted!
Remember when we told you that Apple had a potential trademark battle with its soon-to-be-launched iPad tablet? Right, well, Apple’s lawyers have apparently been hard at work to pre-empt any future legal battles over what could very well be Steve Jobs’ last hurrah as the iPad maker’s top exec. The company has secured the iPad trademark by buying it from Fujitsu.
The iPad trademark was originally filed back in 2002 as the model name for a Fujitsu handheld computer powered. The Fujitsu iPad was launched as a Windows CE.NET-powered touchscreen PDA device that boasted a 3.5-inch color touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, an Intel processor and supported VoIP internet phone calls. Fujitsu owned the rights to the iPad name from 2002 to 2009, when it expired. The company then quickly moved to re-apply for the iPad name in mid-2009 – roughly the same time that Apple started applying for its own claim to the iPad. Apple apparently wasn’t aware of the trademark, or just figured they could deal with the dispute in due time.
What’s more, this isn’t the first time Apple’s first time on the trademark dispute dance floor. The iPhone was originally disputed by Cisco’s Linksys division, which marketed a VoIP phone using the iPhone name. The iPhone dispute led to a lawsuit, which resulted in some back-room dealing that allowed Apple to use the name. The Apple iPad didn’t even spark a lawsuit, which is somewhat surprising.
But, in the end, the mighty greenback helped win the case for Cupertino. As it stands, Apple is now the proud owner of the iPad trademark. PatentAuthority says that USPTO trademark #76497338 was handed to Apple on March 17th. Now, we just wait for the tablet to go live on April 3. We’ll be bringing you launch day coverage as it happens, so be sure to keep an eye on the IntoMobile front page!
[Via: PatentAuthority]