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ITV Executives Reportedly 'Furious' Over Rumored Apple TV Name Change
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To avoid any UK problems ATV* should be renamed Apple Corps iTV. That won't cause any issues 
*ATV was actually the name of the ITV station covering the midlands region of the UK
*ATV was actually the name of the ITV station covering the midlands region of the UK
Mmm, interesting. And funny.
ITV is what ?
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". Even so, you have to laugh at them reportedly looking at the "global options". How many other national stations are called ITV, that the wannabes in Manchester want to have control over ? I'm sure that covers Iranian (State) Television, but lets not go there.
So the new device will be called iTelly in he UK and iTV everywhere ele in the world. Woudn't want Apple to cause any confusion between the "iTunes-shop-interface-in-a-white-box" and that diahorrea that passes for ITV4 and ITV3, and ITV2.
No, they (ITV) didn't get Premier League football (soccer) but they did get an exclusive to show "Katie: What Happened Next", or "Katie: The Next Chapter" or whatever it is. That's the quality of TV exec (and lawyer) Apple will be up against.
This could get really funny.
ITV is what ?
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". Even so, you have to laugh at them reportedly looking at the "global options". How many other national stations are called ITV, that the wannabes in Manchester want to have control over ? I'm sure that covers Iranian (State) Television, but lets not go there.
So the new device will be called iTelly in he UK and iTV everywhere ele in the world. Woudn't want Apple to cause any confusion between the "iTunes-shop-interface-in-a-white-box" and that diahorrea that passes for ITV4 and ITV3, and ITV2.
No, they (ITV) didn't get Premier League football (soccer) but they did get an exclusive to show "Katie: What Happened Next", or "Katie: The Next Chapter" or whatever it is. That's the quality of TV exec (and lawyer) Apple will be up against.
This could get really funny.
What's that got to do with this? ITV is a major brand name. It is to them as Apple is to Apple. It's their name.
Apple want to launch a service that provides TV and movies etc, called iTV (so the rumour goes). In the UK, this would clash with ITV, who provide TV and movies.
The Viva car is a long-since retired car made by Vauxhall. The television channel that launched last year called Viva is not a car, does not provide transport services, and cannot be said to clash in any way.
Same with the Cisco IPHONE thing. IPHONE was their product, and Apple wanted to call their own product the same thing so they did a deal. Again, not the same thing.
I'm with you on this one. I nearly pissed myself when I read the comment "We all take our ITV brand very seriously"
1. Leak or quietly stoke rumour of new/revised product that has sold relatively poorly with potential copyright/brand ownership implications in an English-speaking market.
2. Stand back as press and media talk about it.
3. Enjoy heightened and continuing marketing exposure round about the same time you open a flagship store in the nation's capital... without spending an extra cent.
Steve, gizza job?
2. Stand back as press and media talk about it.
3. Enjoy heightened and continuing marketing exposure round about the same time you open a flagship store in the nation's capital... without spending an extra cent.
Steve, gizza job?
You've just described every tabloid in the world, and, to be honest, probably a large percentage of all regular newspapers too. Being sued for harrassing celebs (which you failed to point out is what the largest proportion of the successful lawsuits stem from) doesn't really impinge on their ability to sex up a story fed to them by someone who works as ITV and very likely overheard the bosses discussing this issue. Why is it so hard for you to believe that ITV will be looking into this? Did The Mirror touch you somewhere?
What's your issue? Apart from being an ANGRY APPLE FANBOY WHO HATES MACRUMORS FOR SULLYING YOUR VISION WITH THIS STORY RRRAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!
This company is aware that the "iTV" name change is just a rumor, right?
I heard a rumor that ExxonMobile will change the name of their gasoline to my internet handle. I better get furious and promise to fight to the last!!
Where are the facepalm pics when you need 'em?
I heard a rumor that ExxonMobile will change the name of their gasoline to my internet handle. I better get furious and promise to fight to the last!!
Where are the facepalm pics when you need 'em?
I think it's ridiculous on a few fronts:
#1: the iTV execs are upset over an internet rumor
#2: Someone actually reported that the execs are upset over a rumor
#3: People actually feel compelled to read and MR feels compelled to post about execs being upset about a rumor.
Seriously- There are much more important things to worry about, people!!
#1: the iTV execs are upset over an internet rumor
#2: Someone actually reported that the execs are upset over a rumor
#3: People actually feel compelled to read and MR feels compelled to post about execs being upset about a rumor.
Seriously- There are much more important things to worry about, people!!
Agreed, though they have kinda made it the point when they claim that the iphone 4 is a failure.
"We all take our ITV brand very seriously and we'll do everything in our power to protect it."
From "Unsuck-It.com":
http://unsuck-it.com/at-company-x-we-take-y-seriously/
So TRUE!!!!
From "Unsuck-It.com":
http://unsuck-it.com/at-company-x-we-take-y-seriously/
So TRUE!!!!
ireally don't agree. ihowever respect your summation and idutifully will exit this blog because I have to head over to iCVS and pick up some icromium 800.
Ouch. I think you'll find many people disagree. London (and all of England for that matter) has played a vital role in the development of the English language and the western culture. Much more so than anywhere else.
in defense of our Independent Television channel may I bring to the attention of the audience these fine ITV programmes...
The Professionals
TISWAS
The Prisoner
...and...errr from the last twenty years..... errr... oh sod it, Apple buy em out!
The Professionals
TISWAS
The Prisoner
...and...errr from the last twenty years..... errr... oh sod it, Apple buy em out!
ATV is also owned by someone else as a trademark in the UK in the relevant catagories, though I'll grant you it appears to be a considerably smaller company and it's possible Apple could actually successfully licence it there.
UK Trademark catagory registration is seperated into catagories. Any online or computing service at all, hardware or software, pretty much has to fit into either Class 9 or Class 41. ITV own the trademark in both catagories, and another four catagories as well.
There's not a clear category split between "hardware" and "software" in trademark law. It depends on the purpose of what you're making, and ITV owns the trademark in pretty much every category that could concievably involve audio-visual material.
It's worth noting that ITV have a fairly substanive online television streaming service, so it would have a VERY good passing off case against Apple launching a box that did online content streaming of television. It's not even like Apple could claim ignorance - ITV are a huge company, and more importantly carry ITV programming in the iTunes store.
It's also worth noting that ITV, until a few years ago, used to make set top boxes to recieve digital television under the ITV Digital Brand, and still own associated trademarks due to that. They also have a share of Freesat, a brand name and consortium for making television set-top boxes which take on-demand television streams as well as live programming. Given ITV have announced that they will be making programmes available via that before the end of the year, there's an even stronger case that there would be a good chance of customer confusion between "iTV" and "ITV" and they're partially competing products.
There's a big difference between being able to licence the name of an obscure product that isn't even really still in production from a company and taking the company name itself which is used in almost their entire range of products.
Apple might well be willing to licence the 'Lisa' trademark (if it still owns it) to someone if they offered enough money, but they wouldn't licence the iPhone trademark to someone. Especially if that someone was a competitor like Google.
Certainly in the UK trademark registrations are public, so you can look it up right now. Apple don't own the iTV trademark in the UK. And given ITV do own it in every possible catagory, they wouldn't be granted it if they asked either.
Of course, the simplest answer would be that if Apple ever have considered the name iTV, they've found they can't use it, they're not going to use it, and the Engadget rumour is simply bunk... that is a lot more likely.
No, see above. ITV also own the trademark sufficiently to put Apple off across Europe, not just the UK.
Phazer
1. Calm down.
2. I agree that description is not exclusive to the Daily Mirror. However their track record in the High Court and with the PCC is particularly poor, even when compared to other British tabloids.
3. I'm writing this on a PC. The "fanboy" knee-jerk reaction stopped being an argument around 1998.
I'm far from being a total Apple fanboy, but that is the funniest thing I've read all week. If that insider actually exists they should be writing a sitcom for their bosses instead of saying stuff like that to the press.
But seriously, we don't even know if Apple want to call it iTV yet. "Reportedly 'Furious' Over Rumoured" anything makes for a funny headline too.
If I were Apple I'd leverage the iPod name instead. iPod nano, iPod Touch... iPod TV. It's basically what the current AppleTV is anyway, an iPod for the TV.