Firm Launches 'IPHONE' Brand of Android Phones, Touts Trademark Ownership in Brazil

mdsco said:

I play with every OS I can get my hands on have a old droidx just to throw different OS and roms at bricked it more times than I can count but you can make it what you want use it mainly as a media remote for my tv right now its running a basic miui rom also messing with raspberrypi to see what I can make it do not much yet just cool for the money. Got umbuntu on one laptop not my fave. Like IOS for simplicity very functional IOS fans can be a bit like religious fanatics though will not even touch something else.

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Please complete this sentence:

This is relevant to the topic because..........

If this product is a success, then history will be re-written and all of a sudden Apple will become the copycat

jessica. said:

Whatever. Fanboys will see it only as a money grab. I see it as opportunistic.

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I see synonyms.

Nothing wrong with money grabbing. They're a company.

WhoDaKat said:

Ridiculous. You can't even see your own ignorance. America is your bad guy, and you have no desire for that to change. Bad America, the world is poor because America took all the money. Boo hoo for us.

I never said America was saving anything! Thats just the attitude you want me to have so it confirms to your ignorance about America. We just happened to be talking about an AMERICAN company! I understand that Apple doesn't hold the trademark for IPHONE in Brazil, duh, why else would we be having the conversation? And again, you are putting words in my mouth when you say I think Apple should ignore the local laws. LOL Why do you think I mentioned going to the Brazilian government and letting them handle it? The point YOU are missing is that people buy up trademarks (in every country - not just Brazil - since you seem to be uber sensitive) and then do nothing with them. Then when a company (from any where in the world) that "creates" (products, jobs, money) comes along these snakes jump out and make them pay because 20 years ago they bought up a bunch of words and trademarked them for no reason other then to hopefully some day, fleece a legitimate company in court. I said the same thing about Proview in China, and the same thing about the company that held the iPhone trademark in Mexico. Screw them. Don't play their game. Of course money is king, so they will do the math and if it makes sense to pay them off they will, but I PERSONALLY don't like it. Hence why I posted.

AND I DIDN'T INSERT TWO RANDOM COMPANIES BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT APPLE IN BRAZIL!!!!!!!!!

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What should the Brazilian Government take care of? There's nothing to take care of, because the company hasn't done anything wrong. Only in your eyes because it's against an American company. That's the point, this is entirely legal.

And seriously, they've just bought up a bunch of words in your view? Funny how you don't have this attitude when it comes to Apple & Samsung. Oh yeah that's right, one's owned by a non-American company.

Seriously, what is wrong with you?

phillipduran said:

Tried it.

Can confirm it's dull.

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iOs is a lot more Dull than android.

Psychj0e said:

What should the Brazilian Government take care of? There's nothing to take care of, because the company hasn't done anything wrong. Only in your eyes because it's against an American company. That's the point, this is entirely legal.

And seriously, they've just bought up a bunch of words in your view? Funny how you don't have this attitude when it comes to Apple & Samsung. Oh yeah that's right, one's owned by a non-American company.

Seriously, what is wrong with you?

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Whats wrong with me is I'm sick of your America bashing. Your comments don't even make sense because you're looking through a veil of ignorance and hate. Let me be as ambiguous as possible so I don't upset your delicate sensibilities. One company of whatever national origin you'd like goes to sell goods of whatever nature you'd like, to a foreign nation (which ever you choose) and runs into legal issues of your choosing with a local company. The original company can go to the foreign government and see if there is any thing they can do to persuade the local company to rethink their position. Now don't get excited, this isn't a gangster movie. When I say persuade I mean things like tax breaks or special incentives, not breaking knee caps or anything Machiavellian. Why would a foreign government do something like this? Simple, if the original company is bringing value to the country, lets say jobs, then it may be in the foreign governments best interest to try to broker a deal. What would be wrong with that? Does that explain my position clearly enough? Try making your argument without the words America or Brazil and you'll see that the ignorance lies with you.

And I don't care what country you come from, I think its crap when a company that doesn't produce goods or services comes after a company that does for trademark violations on something they don't even use. Follow the logic. Should I be able to sit down with a dictionary and just start trademarking every word I come across? It seems ridiculous that I can trademark a word for nothing. The spirit of the trademark is that you can protect something that identifies your product or service but these folks have no product or service its just a selfish money grab. Hey, I don't know you, that kind of thing may be perfectly fine to you, but its my opinion that this world has plenty of people making money off of nothing and fewer and fewer companies that actually do something that creates value. Your problem is you see it as a local good ole' boy company sticking it to the big bad American company and that sir, is a veil of ignorance that skews your perspective.

WhoDaKat said:

Whats wrong with me is I'm sick of your America bashing. Your comments don't even make sense because you're looking through a veil of ignorance and hate. Let me be as ambiguous as possible so I don't upset your delicate sensibilities. One company of whatever national origin you'd like goes to sell goods of whatever nature you'd like, to a foreign nation (which ever you choose) and runs into legal issues of your choosing with a local company. The original company can go to the foreign government and see if there is any thing they can do to persuade the local company to rethink their position. Now don't get excited, this isn't a gangster movie. When I say persuade I mean things like tax breaks or special incentives, not breaking knee caps or anything Machiavellian. Why would a foreign government do something like this? Simple, if the original company is bringing value to the country, lets say jobs, then it may be in the foreign governments best interest to try to broker a deal. What would be wrong with that? Does that explain my position clearly enough? Try making your argument without the words America or Brazil and you'll see that the ignorance lies with you.

And I don't care what country you come from, I think its crap when a company that doesn't produce goods or services comes after a company that does for trademark violations on something they don't even use. Follow the logic. Should I be able to sit down with a dictionary and just start trademarking every word I come across? It seems ridiculous that I can trademark a word for nothing. The spirit of the trademark is that you can protect something that identifies your product or service but these folks have no product or service its just a selfish money grab. Hey, I don't know you, that kind of thing may be perfectly fine to you, but its my opinion that this world has plenty of people making money off of nothing and fewer and fewer companies that actually do something that creates value. Your problem is you see it as a local good ole' boy company sticking it to the big bad American company and that sir, is a veil of ignorance that skews your perspective.

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I'm sorry, but have you read the original article? They're an electronics company, and at one point they were the Brazilian equivalent of Sony. So of course they have a history of making something, and in this case they still are because they're going to make a new type of android mobile called the Iphone, a phone which they first conceptualised before Apple even sold their first iPod.

If the iPhone had not been successful they would not have given a crap about the name. This is nothing more than patent trolling, regardless of whether they came up with the name first or not...

Yes

NewtonsApple said:

They applied in 2000 fair and square when there was barely an "i" anything. iphone is already established. The question is why was apple never sued 5 yrs ago. There will be no confusion. Apple would be wasting time fighting a trademark that someone else thought of first. Get over it.

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Sure they do. They have 10 dollar phones.

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AppleScruff1 said:

Did you know that Brazil has more cell phones per capita than any country on earth?

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Sure they do. They have 10 dollar phones. Amazing right?

What is funny about this is that Apple isn't even the one that owns "iPhone", it is Cisco.

"Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear's original filing for the trademark dates to March 20, 1996."

So if they try to get their product in the US, they will have a fight on their hands for sure!

jessica. said:

Whatever. Fanboys will see it only as a money grab. I see it as opportunistic.

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LOL @ haters who make comments like that thinking they aren't as biased as the people they are calling fanboys.

This is a legal issue. Trademarks are not like URLs. You have to use it to maintain it. You can find evidence of this all over the place. From Wiki:

Trademarks rights must be maintained through actual lawful use of the trademark. These rights will cease if a mark is not actively used for a period of time, normally 5 years in most jurisdictions.

This probably one of the few legal cases where Apple would be in the right to pursue something.

IPHONE.

My goodness.

Iphone vs Eephone

I read the news and the local brand called Gradiente who owns "Iphone" trademark created a video trying to explain this mess. They said the name had come from "internet phone". I guess they're right, but I'm brazilian and in 2000s if someone had this ideia, the pronounce would be "Eephone" not "Iphone".

The latest...

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/will-apple-have-to-pull-the-iphone-from-this-market.html/

"Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has lost the exclusive right to use the iPhone name to sell its smartphone in Brazil, Forbes said. The Brazilian Institute for Industrial Property rejected the company’s request to regain the naming right from local electronics firm IGB Eletrônica SA, or Gradiente, which had originally asked for the trademark back in 2000."

More via link

NewtonsApple said:

They applied in 2000 fair and square when there was barely an "i" anything.

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Historical note: there were plenty of "i" names back when the internet was just getting popular. Apple didn't invent the idea... they just used it like everyone else.

That's why Apple's ad agency talked Steve Jobs into using "iMac" instead of the name he wanted to use (the "MacMan"... a horrible takeoff on the Sony Walkman, PacMan, et al).

I recently found a internet/interactive i-trademark and i-name list I compiled a while ago. Here it is. Enjoy!

Red = Apple trademark, Blue = a name or trademark later used 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 preApple i-Trademark of them all...
A product that used ONLY the lowercase letter "i"...