"i" Trademark

[dilap]

I was watching a tv show, where people pitch their business to these millionaires, to hope to get an investment - Dragons Den. A man came an a pitched a touchscreen glove that you could answer, decline and take calls, it was called the iGlove. One of the business men said Apple could sue anytime they wanted to because of the "i", but I know of many products that start with "i". There is this link http://www.cultofmac.com/33309/court-apple-doesnt-own-the-letter-i/ , but the investor tweeted this:

Lots of you saying I'm wrong. As well as TM issues iGlove are at serious risk of Apple also bringing common law passing off claims

iGlove products look very similar to the iSocks that Apple sell for iPods. Apple are very protective of their products & would take action

For those that keep saying I was wrong on the iglove potential issue with apple - I wasn't. After filming I checked with a lawyer

Oh and on top of that Apple already own it anyway! http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/02/apple_glove_patent/ - NOTE: this is only a patent and I don't think it has been approved

Then Alan Sugar - a very famous business man - agreed with him

So do Apple own it, and is he right?

 

[Tech198]

how can u sue a a since character ?


there are plenty of tings starting with 'i', including websites. If Apple is going down, then bring these down too. I always thought u could only trademark words, not letters, unless its symbol/graphic.

 

[JackieInCo]

Years ago, I worked at a pizza place that used a bump bar in the kitchen. That bump bar was named the OAsys iPad. The company that makes them is still in business today selling those.

 

[kdarling]

So do Apple own it, and is he right?

He might be right about the socks thing, but as far as "i" goes, no, Apple does not own that.

In fact, Apple was years late using it for iMac in 1998. "i" names started picking up speed during the 1990s as "internet" and "interactive" became the buzzwords of the decade. Apple was also late dropping it. "i" names mostly fell out of favor after the turn of the century.

This comes up about every six months, and I get to post my (incomplete) list of "i" names that I found over a couple of hours of searching the US Trademark Office. From the timeline, you can easily see that Apple was a latecomer to using "i".

Red = Apple trademark, Blue = a name or trademark later also used (or purchased) by Apple.

1987 - iNet (online storage)

1992 - iScreen (online computer manuals)

1993 - iTV (interactive TV)
1993 - ICONNECT (internet professionals)

1994 - iPod chair (internet equipped pod chair - Australia)
1994 - iBank (remote banking comms)

1995 - iCOMM (internet comms)
1995 - IMall (internet business)
1995 - iNET (internet comms)
1995 - ishop (internet store software)
1995 - IStore (internet shopping)
1995 - iRock (internet music radio)
1995 - I-SITE (internet comms)
1995 - I-FAX (internet to fax)
1995 - I-Central (internet consulting)
1995 - iFind (MCI directory)
1995 - IVIEW (interactive USAF viewer)
1995 - ICast (internet broadcasts)
1995 - iCity (internet hosting)

1996 - iHome (intelligent/interactive home)
1996 - iMessage (internet mail)
1996 - iRadio (interactive internet radio)
1996 - iBox (internet computer for home)
1996 - IBrowse (internet browser for Amiga)
1996 - i-Remote (internet TV remote control)
1996 - iBooks (interactive books)
1996 - iGames (internet gambling)
1996 - iMonitor (integrated systems monitor)
1996 - iKiosk (internet printer)
1996 - iName (internet addresses)
1996 - iPrint (internet printing)
1996 - iPhoto (internet printing)
1996 - iCall (internet comms)
1996 - iQuest (QWEST internet)
1996 - i-Page (paging handsets from internet)
1996 - iTel (internet media transfer)
1996 - I800 (internet directory)
1996 - I.CHALLENGE (internet gaming)

1997 - IMail (Internet Explorer Mail)
1997 - iWORLD (internet community)
1997 - iPoint (embedded Internet APIs)
1997 - iPump (internet reference design)
1997 - iMeter (internet meter reader)
1997 - I Antiques & I Collectibles
1997 - i-MAGIC (interactive learning)
1997 - iCube (internet kiosk)
1997 - IPostOffice
1997 - iRenaissance (internet software)
1997 - iCommunity (internet BBS)
1997 - iMatch (internet dating)
1997 - INote (internet note taker)
1997 - Iplay (internet games)
1997 - iPhone (internet phone)
1997 - IPAD (Internet Protocol ADapter box)
1997 - IPad (interactive notepad - Cross pens)

1998 - iMagic (interactive ad company)
1998 - iTourist (interactive ads)
1998 - iGovernment (info)
1998 - itravel (internet travel agency)
1998 - INews (internet news)
1998 - IView (interent adapter)
1998 - iAPP (internet job applications)
1998 - iAnnounce (internet announcements)
1998 - iInvite (internet invitations)
1998 - iNote (internet sticky notes)
1998 - iMac by Apple
1998 - imouse (interactive mouse)

1999 - idesk (internet management)
1999 - iform (internet data)
1999 - iTerm (internet web terminal)
1999 - i-Opener (internet web computer)
1999 - IPOD (internet protocol converter)
1999 - iNews24 (internet News site)
1999 - iCatalog (internet catalog)
1999 - iTours (internet tour booking)
1999 - iBook by Apple
1999 - iFrame (internet photo network)

2000 - ICard (internet bank card services)
2000 - iDirect (internet direct satellite link)
2000 - iVacation (internet home rentals)
2000 - iRad (internet radio)
2000 - iPAQ (internet computer)
2000 - iPod (internet kiosk - NJ company)

2001 - iTunes by Apple
2001 - iPod by Apple

AND my favorite pre-Apple i-Trademark of them all...
A product that used ONLY the lowercase letter "i"...

 

[dilap]

how can u sue a a since character ?


there are plenty of tings starting with 'i', including websites. If Apple is going down, then bring these down too. I always thought u could only trademark words, not letters, unless its symbol/graphic.

Years ago, I worked at a pizza place that used a bump bar in the kitchen. That bump bar was named the OAsys iPad. The company that makes them is still in business today selling those.

He might be right about the socks thing, but as far as "i" goes, no, Apple does not own that.

In fact, Apple was years late using it for iMac in 1998. "i" names started picking up speed during the 1990s as "internet" and "interactive" became the buzzwords of the decade. Apple was also late dropping it. "i" names mostly fell out of favor after the turn of the century.

This comes up about every six months, and I get to post my (incomplete) list of "i" names that I found over a couple of hours of searching the US Trademark Office. From the timeline, you can easily see that Apple was a latecomer to using "i".

Red = Apple trademark, Blue = a name or trademark later also used (or purchased) by Apple.

1987 - iNet (online storage)

1992 - iScreen (online computer manuals)

1993 - iTV (interactive TV)
1993 - ICONNECT (internet professionals)

1994 - iPod chair (internet equipped pod chair - Australia)
1994 - iBank (remote banking comms)

1995 - iCOMM (internet comms)
1995 - IMall (internet business)
1995 - iNET (internet comms)
1995 - ishop (internet store software)
1995 - IStore (internet shopping)
1995 - iRock (internet music radio)
1995 - I-SITE (internet comms)
1995 - I-FAX (internet to fax)
1995 - I-Central (internet consulting)
1995 - iFind (MCI directory)
1995 - IVIEW (interactive USAF viewer)
1995 - ICast (internet broadcasts)
1995 - iCity (internet hosting)

1996 - iHome (intelligent/interactive home)
1996 - iMessage (internet mail)
1996 - iRadio (interactive internet radio)
1996 - iBox (internet computer for home)
1996 - IBrowse (internet browser for Amiga)
1996 - i-Remote (internet TV remote control)
1996 - iBooks (interactive books)
1996 - iGames (internet gambling)
1996 - iMonitor (integrated systems monitor)
1996 - iKiosk (internet printer)
1996 - iName (internet addresses)
1996 - iPrint (internet printing)
1996 - iPhoto (internet printing)
1996 - iCall (internet comms)
1996 - iQuest (QWEST internet)
1996 - i-Page (paging handsets from internet)
1996 - iTel (internet media transfer)
1996 - I800 (internet directory)
1996 - I.CHALLENGE (internet gaming)

1997 - IMail (Internet Explorer Mail)
1997 - iWORLD (internet community)
1997 - iPoint (embedded Internet APIs)
1997 - iPump (internet reference design)
1997 - iMeter (internet meter reader)
1997 - I Antiques & I Collectibles
1997 - i-MAGIC (interactive learning)
1997 - iCube (internet kiosk)
1997 - IPostOffice
1997 - iRenaissance (internet software)
1997 - iCommunity (internet BBS)
1997 - iMatch (internet dating)
1997 - INote (internet note taker)
1997 - Iplay (internet games)
1997 - iPhone (internet phone)
1997 - IPAD (Internet Protocol ADapter box)
1997 - IPad (interactive notepad - Cross pens)

1998 - iMagic (interactive ad company)
1998 - iTourist (interactive ads)
1998 - iGovernment (info)
1998 - itravel (internet travel agency)
1998 - INews (internet news)
1998 - IView (interent adapter)
1998 - iAPP (internet job applications)
1998 - iAnnounce (internet announcements)
1998 - iInvite (internet invitations)
1998 - iNote (internet sticky notes)
1998 - iMac by Apple
1998 - imouse (interactive mouse)

1999 - idesk (internet management)
1999 - iform (internet data)
1999 - iTerm (internet web terminal)
1999 - i-Opener (internet web computer)
1999 - IPOD (internet protocol converter)
1999 - iNews24 (internet News site)
1999 - iCatalog (internet catalog)
1999 - iTours (internet tour booking)
1999 - iBook by Apple
1999 - iFrame (internet photo network)

2000 - ICard (internet bank card services)
2000 - iDirect (internet direct satellite link)
2000 - iVacation (internet home rentals)
2000 - iRad (internet radio)
2000 - iPAQ (internet computer)
2000 - iPod (internet kiosk - NJ company)

2001 - iTunes by Apple
2001 - iPod by Apple

AND my favorite pre-Apple i-Trademark of them all...
A product that used ONLY the lowercase letter "i"...

View attachment 592934

Exactly what I was thinking. Thanks for the help. And as for the timeline, wow!