Trademark

Watchmaker Swatch trademarks ‘One more thing’

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 21, 2015

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has managed to trademark “One more thing,” a catch phrase late CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs made famous around the world by using it extensively when introducing new surprise products during Apple's media events.

As discovered by Wirtschaft, the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) awarded the trademark to Swatch back in May following its original application in November of last year. It's scheduled to expire in 2024 though an opposition to the trademark is reportedly pending.

Apple’s ‘El Capitan’ European trademark filing confusingly includes tablets

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 3, 2015

Is Apple really readying an iPad that could run both iOS and OS X? The toaster-refrigerator dilemma has been occupying the collective mind of fans who have been keeping their fingers crossed for the convergence of the Mac and iPad ever since the original iPad debuted more than five years ago.

Apple's European trademark filing for ‘El Capitan’ is certainly intriguing, to say the least, as it mentions tablets as one of the devices targeted by the desktop operating system, as revealed yesterday by Patently Apple.

Apple’s appeal to trademark ‘App Store’ in Australia tossed out of the window

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 3, 2014

It looks like Apple has been unsuccessfully in its appeal to trademark the term ‘App Store’ in Australia on basis that its application does not distinguish the applicant on its own, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported.

According to court documents, Justice Yates on Wednesday ruled that Apple’s appeal be dismissed and that the company pay the court costs of the Registrar of Trade Marks.

To get you up to speed, the Registrar of Trade Marks initially refused to greenlight Apple’s proposed ‘App Store’ trademark in March of last year because it was “too descriptive,” prompting the California firm to appeal the decision in the Federal Court.

Apple’s ‘iPhone’ trademark is being challenged in India

Cody Lee ∙ October 31, 2014

Tamil Nadu-based company iVoice Enterprise is moving forward with its challenge to Apple's 'iPhone' trademark in India, reports PatentlyApple. The firm has asked the country's Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) to remove the trademark from their registry.

The initial complaint, known officially as a "rectification petition," was filed on October 20, and many figured it would be immediately tossed out. However, today it is being reported that the IPAB is taking the trademark issue seriously, and has asked Apple to respond.

Mexican carriers can no longer use ‘iPhone’ name in ads

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

As reported by the Mexican publication El Universal, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) has ruled that Mexican carriers are no longer allowed to make use of the "iPhone" name, since it violates the phonetically identical sounding "iFone" trademark owned by a small call center in Mexico. The trademark is filed under Class 38, which covers telecommunications services.

To be clear, Apple will still be able to sell the iPhone in Mexico and use its own trademark as it sees fit, but carriers won't be able to. The basis behind the ruling is that, since Apple is not considered to be a telecommunication services provider, it is acquitted of being at fault. Instead, the IMPI has placed the blame directly on Mexican carriers, which do provide telecommunications services…

Trademark filings discovered for Healthbook, HealthKit and iResearch

Cody Lee ∙ May 30, 2014

With Apple's WWDC keynote now just a few days away, speculation regarding what the company will announce on Monday is heating up. We saw the iOS 8 and OS X banners earlier today, and now we have some mysterious trademark filings.

The folks over at MacRumors have discovered several trademark applications related to the term 'Healthbook,' which is a new app rumored for iOS 8. The documents don't say they were filed by Apple, but looking at the clues, it's fairly obvious...

‘Apple’ trademark now covers jewelry, clocks and watches

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Is Apple about to enter the jewelry business? This obvious question comes to mind after realizing that the company's own trademark for the Apple name now includes protection for jewelry, clocks and watches.

I kid you not, I swear.

As noted by MacRumors, Apple's trademark now includes Class 14 specification which mainly covers "precious metals, goods in precious metals and, in general, jewelry, clocks and watches" (emphasis mine).

The wording leaves room for speculation that Apple's rumored wearable device - which may or may not be a smartwatch per se - could at the very least include parts made of precious metals because what's the alternative? Apple about to start selling necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and other pieces of jewelry in its stores?

In response to Facebook’s Paper, FiftyThree files trademark application for the term ‘Paper’

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 24, 2018

Facebook yesterday released its new Paper for iPhone app, a free download, prompting a swift response from Seattle- and New York-based FiftyThree which slammed the social networking behemoth for ignoring the fact that the Paper name has been associated with FiftyThree's own iPad drawing program, also a free download from the App Store.

The small startup said Facebook had ignored requests to change its app name even though FiftyThree filed for the ‘Paper by FiftyThree’ trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office back in May of 2012.

Not content with Zuck & Co. piggy-backing on the established Paper brand, FiftyThree has now moved to file a trademark for the term 'Paper' itself. Grab your popcorn...

Candy Crush Saga creator trademarks ‘candy’, goes after App Store devs

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Social games developer King, perhaps best-known for its wildly popular Candy Crush Saga match-three game (free in the App Store, currently #9 on the free apps chart), has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeking to trademark the word 'candy'.

And guess what? King won the trademark last week and is now asking fellow developers to remove games with 'candy' in their name. The full story is right after the break...

Apple wins right to use iPhone name in Brazil

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

A Brazil judge Wednesday ruled that Apple can use the iPhone name, clearing the way for the tech giant to compete in South America's burgeoning smartphone market. The ruling reverses an earlier finding that gave a Brazilian company exclusive rights to the iPhone trademark. In his ruling, the judge declared Apple and IGB Electronica must share the iPhone name, writing the U.S. company had built a well-known line of iDevices...

Apple’s Passbook is now a registered trademark

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 30, 2013

Passbook, Apple's iOS app for collecting coupons, board passes and other digital cards, is now a registered trademark. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published the trademark registration Friday. This makes a clean sweep for the app, after its icon was trademarked by Apple earlier this month.

Apple had filed to trademark the app in 2012, just two months after unveiling Passbook during its annual June Apple World Wide Developer Conference.

Today's announcement comes as Apple continues efforts to trademark the term 'startup' as part of its retail services ahead of the expected September launch of the iPhone 5S/5C...

Apple seeks to trademark ‘startup’ globally for computer retail service

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple is seeking to trademark the term 'startup' as it relates to computer retailing, support and education. Although filed in Australia, the application reportedly could have global impact. The move comes as Apple preps its September launch of a new iPhone 5S and 5C, accompanied by the addition of a new iPhone trade-in program at its retail locations. But is there any concern that Apple's application is too broad?