Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

ITV Executives Reportedly 'Furious' Over Rumored Apple TV Name Change

Calm down old man. First off, it's just a rumor. Secondly, ITV isn't even relevant across the pond.

But yes, I agree that Apple should keep the name they have now. iTV is just going way overboard with the already overboard "i(product)" naming scheme.
 
marksman said:
Your little doomy island thinks 30 degrees Celsius is a heatwave.

Edit: Come on the insults were more fun! I was not taking offense. lol.

I was just saying you have the first world parts of the country, and the third world parts. Since Great Britain doesn't really fit in either one of those, I figure they must be second world!
Click to expand...

Ah, but because we live in a 'doomy?' island, it means our women aren't so keen to get plastic t*ts to display in the sun. Fake false plastic t*ts. We also do not get earthquakes or destructive hurricanes, not like you do anyway, or feel the need to drop nuclear weapons and kill 260,000 people..... And I also seem to remember we do not have an industry based here that makes billions by showing filth and sluts on the screen?:confused::D we are only a second world island in your blinded eyes mate, I guess you have been watching too much of your country's filth on telly? Do you need any kleenex?
 
Jaffa Cake said:
No, it's real – I watched the football on ITV once. I decided not to watch it again though, their coverage is bloody awful and then they put James Corden on after it.
Click to expand...

Yup ... exactly .. to sum up ITV ... you've heard of the legend ..."Anything you can do, I can do better ..." well ITV's motto is "Anything the BBC can do we do a third rate version of ... 'cos we dont have an original idea in our whole corporation" ....

Please Steve .. reconsider renaming the Apple TV ... youve got your credibility to think of ....
 
BertyBoy said:
ITV plc is a different entity, the merger of Granada Studios and Carlton Studios, who PRODUCE programmes.

The TV BROADCASTING network in the UK is legally called "Channel 3".
Click to expand...

No it is not. Channel 3 is the name of a 15 regional and 1 national licensed television service. Those licenses are franchised to broadcasters, which include ITV plc who hold the national franchise as well as 11 regional ones.

The only time Channel 3 was used in broadcasting was when Tyne Tees briefly renamed themselves to Channel 3 North East in the mid 1990s. Yorkshire also technically became Channel 3 Yorkshire as the idea was to jointly brand both services, but they never actually branded themselves this way.

Besides which, only ITV1 is a channel 3 service anyway, other ITV stations - past and present - have nothing to do with the channel 3 franchised service and are just ordinary licensed channels.

Before Google, had anyone heard of Gmail? I doubt it, but a company owned the name in the UK so Google originally had to call their email service Google Mail in the UK. In the end they had to buy the IP rights from the company who owned the name and it only changed names to Gmail this year. In Germany though it is still called Google Mail because they do not own the name.

Unlike the British Gmail though, which was just a feature in a tool used by financial service companies, ITV is a long and well established brand name. Together their ITV branded stations account for almost 25% of all TV viewing in the UK and 45% of the television advertising market. There is no way they would give that up no matter how much money they were offered. It is one of their biggest assets. They have more to lose from brand dilution than they have to gain from licencing the brand.

It is a clear-cut case, there is no chance Apple would be able to call a product iTV in the UK, and I am quite certain they know it.

As for whether ITV are already talking to their lawyers, I would be surprised if they were not. I am sure the story has been over-hyped, but billion-pound companies do not sit around waiting to see what happens but act proactively to prevent situations happening. If Apple heard rumours that one of their brand names was going to be infringed they would not just sit around and wait until it starts shipping. And taking action now would not be about making money through litigation because it would prevent the matter getting to that stage. Instead, acting now would cost the company through legal fees.

And for anyone who wants to read it, here is the full list ITV's trademark categories in the UK - http://www.ipo.gov.uk/domestic?domesticnum=2469652

Michael.
 
I'm glad to see there are some educated users in this thread... but less pleased with the amount of ignorant North Americans who find it appropriate to hurl abuse at a major UK brand.

I'm proud to say I do watch some ITV and BBC. Channel 4 and Five are absolute dross, with the latter showing programmes from the US almost exclusively. Can we please cut the elitist BS and use a little bit of objectivity?

Without even venturing as far as Apple's legal department, there are plenty of international staff within Apple's management structure. Jony Ive alone will be more than aware of the conflict. iTV is not going to happen. The source is most likely fabricated (or grossly exaggerated), and some North Americans are turning this thread into a defensive crusade for Apple.
 
Mister Snitch said:
Tell that to Cisco, owner of the iPhone brand name.

Apple has money. Lots and lots and lots and lots of money. Money finds a way.
Click to expand...

If true, Apple would try one of two routes:

1) Licence the trademark. From Engadget's article, it appears that ITV will vigorously defend their trademarks and brand in every way possible... which suggests they are very unlikely to share it out on licence.

2) Buy ITV and said trademark. As another user has pointed out, they can't. There are a lot of legal holes to jump through in this particular situation, which would probably take longer than the lifespan of Apple's hobby.

So really, Apple's money is unlikely to have an effect. That's right kids... money can't buy everything.
 
I think America should be held to rights and apologies for all the utter crap TV and films it's made over the last few years, I mean, a ****ing Smurfs film? Seriously? Does the US government have a nuke aimed at Hollywood that it threatens to use if they dare to make an original intelligent idea?

And when a new idea does come along it seems to alway's be scrapped after the first series unless fan's put enough pressure on the studios to make another one!!
 
This is a total non-story - this product will *NOT* be called ITV...

ITV is a multi-billion dollar company that produces television content for its own multi-channel network in the UK, the BBC, Channel 4, 5, Sky TV etc etc. It produces tons of content for American networks - American Idol, Hell's Kitchen, I'm A Celebrity, Who Wants to be a Millionaire etc etc. It licenses its formats out worldwide. Its existed for half a century, owns billions of dollars with of distribution rights worldwide.

ITV also released their own television set-top boxes in the early 2000s called "ITV Digital" - the service went into administration after a year or so, but they have prior art.

They own the trademark to ITV in the US, UK, EU etc.

Finally - it just sounds wrong! As others have pointed out "have you downloaded that new show on ITV?" - to anyone in the UK, they will be thinking about the ITV network. The UK is Apple's largest market outside the US - there is no way ITV will licence their trademark in the EU.

I personally don't think this Mirror article story is true - ITV's management/lawyers know how easy it would be to stop this being sold throughout Europe, and certainly the UK. ITV hasn't released a press statement (checked their press office http://www.itv.com/presscentre/pressreleases/default.html) and the Mirror is notorious for 'speaking to a source' - i.e. writing utter crap.

Total non-story.

Have a beer... chill out! Enjoy your weekend.
 
codo said:
This is a total non-story - this product will *NOT* be called ITV...

ITV is a multi-billion dollar company that produces television content for its own multi-channel network in the UK, the BBC, Channel 4, 5, Sky TV etc etc. It produces tons of content for American networks - American Idol, Hell's Kitchen, I'm A Celebrity, Who Wants to be a Millionaire etc etc. It licenses its formats out worldwide. Its existed for half a century, owns billions of dollars with of distribution rights worldwide.

ITV also released their own television set-top boxes in the early 2000s called "ITV Digital" - the service went into administration after a year or so, but they have prior art.

They own the trademark to ITV in the US, UK, EU etc.

Finally - it just sounds wrong! As others have pointed out "have you downloaded that new show on ITV?" - to anyone in the UK, they will be thinking about the ITV network. The UK is Apple's largest market outside the US - there is no way ITV will licence their trademark in the EU.

I personally don't think this Mirror article story is true - ITV's management/lawyers know how easy it would be to stop this being sold throughout Europe, and certainly the UK. ITV hasn't released a press statement (checked their press office http://www.itv.com/presscentre/pressreleases/default.html) and the Mirror is notorious for 'speaking to a source' - i.e. writing utter crap.

Total non-story.

Have a beer... chill out! Enjoy your weekend.
Click to expand...

Finally, a voice of reason!
Anyway, if they DID want a big payout, they would keep quiet and wait for Apple to do their thing and release 'iTV'.

As said, will never happen. :apple:TV sounds fine.
 
marksman said:
The problem is not only do you live on an island, you don't live on a good island.
Click to expand...

Good lord! What a total and utter prick you've painted yourself to be...

What say you grow up and pull your head from your arse & realise that this little island has contributed a lot to this world we live in and will continue to do so!

You're an idiot... End of!
 
I'd imagine it went something like this...

Mirror hack: So what do think about Apple renaming their new device the iTV?
ITV spokesperson: No comment.
Mirror hack: Thank you.

Minutes later over at Mirror hack HQ: ITV furious at Apple iTV name change! Cheryl Cole latest gossip blah blah blah...


As for those suggesting that Apple buys ITV, if Murdoch couldn't buy 17.9% of it, what makes you think that Apple could just waltz in and buy it outright?
 
A suggestion

SO, the old-school, familiar, slang-ey version of the word for this thing is tee-vee, yes? Hence, "TiVo"? Given all the other products are i-Devices, you have to stay with that, but the "ITV" thing does muddle the basics of the branding of the thing, for both Apple and for ITV's holding company or whomever it is.

So why not go with something like: iTEVE

Thus the basic "TV" message stands out, but it's also the i"tee-vee." So it's retro, yet also Apple Post-Mod-Avent-Garde or whatever it is we're enjoying in terms of industrial design now, or is it piratical Arrrrr Deco...?

And it's like sTeVe, so maybe Jobs will be into it, eh? A little hubris makes a good salesman, they do say. Maybe he ought to name it sTeVi (as in Vi = Video), and not iTeVe; it would be a lasting tribute to the amazing things he's done for the company and people who want to enjoy their computer interfaces, what!
 
Damage to its reputation would be a pretty big one to pull off considering ITV is crap!
 
Is it not clear that apple has i everything? I mean unless their company is really old they shouldnt have named it itv. I mean it sound like they named it itv just to get people to go to their channel thinking it is apple.

Also they could call it itelevision
 
It should literally be called ":apple:TV"

I would be furious too if someone was going to use my name. Mass confusion would ensue about which product is which.
 
BC2009 said:
If Apple knowingly uses somebody else's trademark (which they have not done with ITV) then they are wrong. No problem with that.

My problem is with Rodimus Prime's stab at Apple fans and with ITV's slander against Apple's brand while stating how concerned they are with their brand in an instance where Apple has not even infringed on their brand name yet.

Maybe Apple is getting too big for the britches, but it seems there is such a backlash to any potential rumor of some evil thing Apple might be doing before they even do it.

People need to get a grip.
Click to expand...

Lol well this is a rumor site, and when you click on comments, people give their opinion on it. ITV is being prudent in trying to prevent the iTV from being used before it happens. It could be a possibly bigger mess if they wait for it to actually happen. And the "jab" was really nothing more then stating a fact that not all of Apple's products are great, but the fanboys take it personally when that happens... I understand. Cry, let it all out... feel better?
 
TV is so last century...

Why not call it iHDTV instead?

There... now give me all the money's the lawyers would have gotten so I can do renewable energy work...

Oh wait, will it really be HDTV?
:confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back