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General discussion

Cisco has sued Apple for infringing its iPhone trademark.

Jan 10, 2007 2:47PM PST

Oops.

Discussion is locked

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Not unexpected...
Jan 11, 2007 12:10AM PST

The conspiracy theorist in me says this is a marketing ploy to get even more press for it...

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It's the arrogance that is breathtaking.
Jan 11, 2007 12:40AM PST

I thought only Microsoft tried to rip off other companies. Guess not.

However, MS is smart enough not to take on someone who is 2 or 3 times bigger than they are. Chuckle.

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Ahhh, so it's about that huh?
Jan 11, 2007 12:53AM PST

Always looking to stir up the Microsoft is better than apple conversation. Sad

Whatever... We could talk about the international courts where Microsoft has been sued but that isn't anything like this now is it?

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No, it's not. It's merely pointing out the arrogance and
Jan 11, 2007 2:30AM PST

hypocracy. IP is good as long as it belongs to Apple. If it doesn't, Apple/Jobs simply ignore it.

Not really at all surprising.

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So why make the comparison to begin with?
Jan 11, 2007 4:16AM PST

I believe I said the same thing when I mentioned Steve's Ego without a Microsoft reference to be seen.

Arrogance and hypocrisy is a basic description of any successful industrialist's behavior during some part of their career. The terms apply just as much to Bill Gates' empire as it does to Apple.

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Because Apple fans LOVE to accuse MS of this sort of thing
Jan 11, 2007 6:05AM PST

as you have so readily demonstrated. When it is Apple, the faithful tend to turn a blind eye.

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You are the only one who ever complains.
Jan 11, 2007 6:27AM PST

You are always ranting about how unfair apple enthusiasts are to Microsoft but I never see these glaring inequities that you complain of. I don't see the army of PC magazines constantly touting apple over MS... if anything, you should be complaining on the Linux boards. However, I don't see mac or Linux users going over to PC boards and telling MS users how deluded they are.

The only thing I do see here, is one individual who complains constantly about a company who, quite honestly, has a miniscule market share compared to the business you are constantly defending! Why are you so worried about the way apple users perceive Microsoft?

Apple users just drive you up the wall, don't they? You think we should form a lynch mob because Steve Jobs has used a name he doesn't have rights to... news flash for you here... most of us don't care! It will work itself out. In the meantime I have better things to do than worry about how Bill Gates and Steve Jobs compare to each other.

Really KP, take up knitting or meditation or something. Your trying to prove a point to people who don't think it's that big a deal.

grim

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You are right Grim.
Jan 11, 2007 4:29PM PST

I'm just too focused on the truth.

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(NT) As you see it.
Jan 11, 2007 9:00PM PST
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and, in this case, as most of the world sees it.
Jan 12, 2007 3:23AM PST

There's no question that Apple is now forever tarred with a blatant attempt to rip off Cisco's trademark. Further, we know they did it deliberately and with forethought. They simply think that, legally, they can get away with it. Perhaps, but they've already lost on the moral issue.

Apple seems to think they can take whatever they like. That's, historically, what they've done, and, here, they are doing it again.

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Forever tarred?
Jan 12, 2007 3:40AM PST

Forever Tarred...Blatant attempt...deliberately and with forethought... moral issue?

Boy, you do love hyperbole.

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You seem to have a problem with the obvious Grim. Try a
Jan 15, 2007 2:37AM PST
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If you read the posts below...
Jan 15, 2007 4:58AM PST

... you will see I have posted some similar article links.

Cell phones to me are not as necessary as to other folks. The only multipurpose tool I give a darn about is my Swiss Army knife (the model with the locking blade for safety sake).

I do have to wonder if Jobs can deliver on this one... and I wonder about the practicality of the design and its durability. Either way, I ain't buying one anyway. I pay $100.00 a year for my yearly tracfone contract and end up with extra minutes left over at the renewal time. My only splurge/preference is I had a one piece phone and traded up to the folding model to avoid dialing in my pocket during those rare times I actually leave it on.

I am much more intrigued by the appleTV unit. If it can deliver all its advertised to do at the 300 dollar price range then I will consider getting one of them. $500.00 for a phone though? No thank you.

grim

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This has nothing to do with arrogance,
Jan 11, 2007 6:25AM PST

and everything to do with marketing.

That said, both the Steve and the Bill are regularly accused of being arrogant... but I *think* we can agree that neither is stupid...

The drama leading up to the announcement, the non-signing of the agreement and abrupt (day before MacWorld) discontinuing of legal communications... it is all too convenient.

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I saw that!
Jan 11, 2007 12:25AM PST

I sometimes think one could make a japanese monster movie staring Steve Jobs ego.

"No Steve... you have to get permission BEFORE you announce"

You gotta give him points for enthusiasm though. Wink

grim

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Regardless of what they call it,
Jan 11, 2007 1:27AM PST

the "pinch" (zoom in/out on web page or image), the "random voice mail access", the screen scrolling method, and the various sensors and their associated uses (including the auto wide/portrait screen change) are pretty darned cool.

I'm just not a touch-screen person (except the airport self-check-in kiosks)... they get streaky/finger-printy...

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I worry about durability.
Jan 11, 2007 2:21AM PST

A while back in a different job I sold video camcorders, a few of which had touch screen view finders. After awhile I saw some of them coming back due to dead areas on parts of the screens and in one case a screen that had cracked when it was dropped. Granted it was 5 years ago and there have been improvements I'm sure... otherwise they would have quit using them. I sure the open screen design will have the accessories market scrambling to design carry cases for them.

I'm basically not a cell phone nor an iPod kind of guy though so it is hard for me to get too excited. I carry a pay by the minute Tracfone that is only on when I'm calling out. The technology fascinates me but would I buy one? Probably not.

grim

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In the keynote, the Steve says
Jan 11, 2007 5:07AM PST

the phone will be available in June.

Is it just me or does this ("abruptly stopping communications with Cisco on Monday") sound like a potentially affordable way to keep some buzz about the product for 4 months or so... without having to pay for actual advertising...? I have a feeling there is already a searched and Apple-trademarked name waiting in the wings... and it will be applied 2-4 weeks before the phone is actually available - and Apple will again abruptly decide that Cisco was right all along, "so never mind, you can have iPhone, we never wanted it, anyway..." and then the next round of press will be that the product was renamed...

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I don't know...
Jan 11, 2007 6:37AM PST

... it certainly seemed like a done deal when it was announced that the lawyers had the paper work ready to be signed... as Steve was revealing the new stuff. Maybe Cisco decided to double the price at the last minute or some other deal breaker. Maybe Apple messed up.

I would be decidedly surprised if apple didn't have a stand by name. The Steve has always been a grand standing contemporary version of PT Barnum in his own way... lets just hope he didn't assume we were born suckers.

I was reading this article... 20 things we don't know about the iPhone
Jobs unveils Apple's 'magical' new gadget, but can he make lingering doubts disappear?
and it does raise some interesting points about all the technical roadblocks apple has to meet to make this product work. I would hate to see this end up being like the Newton... or worse yet... the Zune. Wink

grim

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How about this for a reason
Jan 11, 2007 7:20AM PST

This is a cut and past from MDN.

"Stop listening to all the claptrap about Apple and Cisco and what Cisco really wants: monetary damages, stopping the iPhone and the like," jim Cramer writes for RealMoney.

Cramer writes, "Cisco doesn't want royalties on iPhone. Cisco could care less about keeping the name iPhone. These theories are all wrong. Cisco's trying to get cool. It isn't cool now."

Cramer writes, "Here's the deal: I believe that what Cisco really wants is to have Apple open up the Apple TV device -- the just-announced set-top box that streams video from your PC to your TV -- and other products for Cisco to interface with."

P

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Chuckle.
Jan 11, 2007 4:34PM PST

Cisco says they want to control, and be paid for the use of their, trademark, but I guess this guy knows better. Riiggghhhttt!

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(NT) We'll see how it pans out
Jan 11, 2007 8:59PM PST
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Well, there is some strategy afoot here
Jan 11, 2007 10:02PM PST

Certainly this is the kind of mistake that should not occur. Both sides have been in business to long for such a rookie mistake and too many people are paid to make sure all rights to a trademarked name are established and licensed.

It's ironic but after I read your post I noticed one of the first Cisco commercials on TV that I can remember seeing. It was less than gripping Wink

I can buy into Cisco trying to leverage some influence in the AppleTV box. Overall, I think that device could have more impact and market share potential than a cell phone. The Apple box represents a lifestyle device that combines wireless connectivity for streaming media to your TV, and a Tivo type hard drive for what I see as a very low price. The cellphone is very pricey and despite provider discounts still out of the affordability range of most people.

Any which way it shakes out, I find it disingenuous of one or both of the companies to claim innocence and damage when it was reported that both sides lawyers had the paperwork in hand waiting for signatures as the keynote speech was being made.

grim

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Interesting discussion of both companies positions here...
Jan 13, 2007 1:59AM PST

In the nascent trademark battle over the name "iPhone," Apple has countered Cisco's lawsuit by claiming that the term could be considered generic, and would not confuse customers.

Cisco sued Apple on January 10, claiming that in launching the iPhone at the Macworld conference, Apple is infringing on Cisco's trademark.

Although Apple's predicted move into cell phones has unofficially been called iPhone for years -- given that many of Apple's products begin with a lowercase "i," including iMac, iPod, and iLife -- Cisco obtained the trademark in 2000 after the acquisition of InfoGear, which had been granted the original trademark in 1996.

In its response to Cisco's lawsuit, Apple is now claiming that it is the first company to use the term iPhone to apply to a cell phone.


I personally have to believe that Cisco has the stronger position here simply because they hold the actual trademark.

I am still mystified by what last minute glitch messed up the deal though. By both companies admission in pre mac-keynote speech publicity releases, they had drawn up papers and were ready to sign

grim

oh... here are 2 tech articles from yahoo that give some interesting background about apples new cell phone. Keep in mind, since tghey are yahoo links they probably won't stay up forever.

Apple iPhone: Coolest Features, Biggest Obstacles

and

Did Apple Borrow the iPhone Design from Someone Else?
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Do you think....
Jan 14, 2007 11:02AM PST

Apple should have waited until later to announce the "mobile device"... That way they could have more time to make a deal with Cisco and maybe could have straightened things out. Apple is just shooting themselves in the foot on this one, IMO. I'm not sure if you have seen the other possible names but some of them are pretty good as well: iTalk, iMobile, etc.

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According to The Steve's keynote
Jan 15, 2007 3:35AM PST

They could not wit because the phone went to the FCC for approval - and Apple preferred making the announcement rather than through the FCC... That said, it is too bad they are stuck in EDGE rather than UMTS... (or 1xEvDO).